Glow
by JustGrace13
Summary: AU - "I won't do it," Rukia whimpered. "It's going to be ok, Rukia," Ichigo answered gently. "Let me save you for once." And then, his arms were around her, pulling her close, and his hand was on the back of her head, holding her lips up to his warm neck. Rukia couldn't resist. Her teeth slid into his delicious skin. IchigoxRukia
1. Chapter 1

So much excitement! I'm really happy to be back :) I've never attempted anything like this fic but I'm looking forward to working on it and getting your feedback. I'm thinking 15-20 chapters, and we'll probably reach a T rating in a few chapters. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 1**

_Rukia,_

_I have had the house cleaned in preparation of your arrival. You are free to come and go as you please. I trust you know better than to arouse suspicion._

_I am still traveling through Russia. The wolves are almost unbearable but some of them are beginning to see reason. I am planning to visit some friends in China but then I will try to join you briefly in Karakura. _

_My hopes are that you will at least try the wildlife, but keep in mind that you cannot be reprimanded for eating outside the town limits. Let me know if you have any trouble._

_All my love,_

_Byakuya _

Rukia re-read the note before folding it up and tucking it away in her bag. She sighed and looked out the window of the slow moving train.

Her brother had been right; she should have just rented a car for the journey. But, then, the employees always gave her a hard time about her height and, only after running her license and insurance five times, did they reluctantly hand over the keys.

Really, this way was simpler.

Rukia shifted in her seat uncomfortably. If she weren't so hungry, the ride might even have been relaxing.

Instead, her stomach was painfully empty and every single passenger on the train was an irritation. Of course, Rukia had better self-control to snap at the serving boys who came by every other hour to offer refreshments, but still, it was a nuisance.

The next stop was in 30 minutes. Rukia decided she'd get off there and eat, and then just buy another ticket to her final destination instead of trying to wait another 3 hours on an empty stomach.

"Beverage, ma'am?" A young man knocked of the outside of her compartment.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "No, thank you."

The serving boy continued on his way and Rukia focused on repacking her bag so that she did not leave anything when she got off the train.

Fortunately, she still had a large wardrobe at their house in Karakura so she had been able to travel light. Her bag was filled mostly with notebooks, a laptop, a map, and money.

She thought about Karakura, her old home. It had been years since her last visit and she wondered if it had changed much.

_Probably not..._ She thought to herself. The small town had an odd way of always staying the same, even though old people died and new people were born so frequently.

_Except for Elisade, of course._ Rukia smirked at the thought of her old acquaintance. _Perhaps it was a wise decision to eat before my arrival, after all._

The train was finally slowing down and Rukia stood, ready to get off the cursed machine.

She shouldered her bag and quickly made her exit, eager to find food.

.

"Hey, Ichigo!"

The orange-haired teen turned to look behind him. He suppressed a groan before forcing a pleasant look on his face.

"Orihime, how are you?"

Orihime Inoue smiled brightly as she caught up to the boy. "I'm doing quite well. I was just on my way to the store to get some groceries."

Ichigo nodded, trying to appear interested. The redhead was certainly a beauty, with her long, flowing hair, and autumn-hued eyes, but she had always felt more like another sister than anything else to Ichigo.

"Would you like to come over for dinner tonight? Yuzu and Karin are more than welcome as well." Orihime chirped cheerfully.

"Umm..." Ichigo looked around awkwardly. That was another thing that bothered him. She was obviously interested in him, but she always brought up his two younger sisters as well, like she thought using them would make him warm up to her.

"I think Yuzu's making something special tonight but thanks anyway. Maybe another time," he said quickly. He knew it was rude not to invite her home for dinner in return but he just wasn't in the mood to hear all the inappropriate jokes his dad would make if he let himself be guilted into bringing his pretty classmate home _again_.

"Oh, ok, Ichigo. Say hi to Yuzu and Karin for me!" Orihime called after him.

Ichigo lifted his hand in a wave, but did not look back as he walked home.

A delicious smell reached his nose as soon as he came through the door.

"Ichigo! You're home later than usual," Yuzu, the younger of the twins, called from the kitchen.

"I hung out with Chad and the guys after school." Ichigo shrugged, entering the kitchen to wash his hands before dinner. "I thought you had sewing club anyway."

"We ended early today. I walked home with Karin after her soccer practice." Yuzu explained, pouring the delicious smelling soup into bowls. "Take these to the table, will you?" She handed him two bowls.

"You know, Karin's still mad you won't let her play soccer with your friends." She commented from behind him, carrying the last two bowls to the table.

"Yeah, well, she doesn't need to be hanging out with senior boys anyway. You guys are only freshmen." Ichigo said as he took his seat.

"Daddy! Karin! Dinner's ready!" Yuzu shouted up the stairwell before joining her brother at the table. "You think you're so cool now that you're a senior. You know Karin just wants a chance to hang out with Chad. I think you should invite him over more."

Ichigo scowled. "Karin's too young to date anyone. Especially Chad. Both of you are."

The strawberry-blonde smiled. "You always say that."

"That's because it's true." Ichigo grumped, starting in on the soup in front of him. And it was true, his sisters were too precious to him. He wasn't about to let some guy break either of their hearts. They could date when they were 30 and married to a respectable man.

"What's true?" Karin asked, taking her seat at the table.

"Oh, I was just telling Ichigo he should start going out with Orihime." Yuzu fibbed casually. She knew Karin would be embarrassed by their discussing her little crush.

The dark-haired twin looked thoughtful for a moment. While Karin certainly had their father's looks, she had none of his boisterous attitude. "She's all right," she finally decided. "She's always really nice to me and Yuzu."

Ichigo frowned again. "I'm not dating Orihime. She and I are just friends."

Yuzu giggled. "Whatever you say."

Ichigo watched Yuzu's delicate features lift with her smile. For a moment, she looked just like their mother. Ichigo and Yuzu both got the red in their hair from their mother, but while Ichigo just resembled her slightly, Yuzu was her spitting image.

"Where's Dad?" Karin asked, breaking the lull in conversation.

Yuzu looked perplexed for a moment. "I think he's working in the basement. You know how he gets when he's working on his treatments."

The other Kurosaki children nodded. Isshin Kurosaki was a great doctor, one of the best in all of Japan, and, on occasion, he was known to spend hours developing new medicines in the small lab they had in their basement.

"I'll just put his in the fridge, then." Yuzu decided, taking the dish back into the kitchen. When she returned, she cleared the empty dishes from the table and began washing them.

"Any plans tonight?" She asked from the kitchen.

"Biology report," Karin said sullenly.

"Homework," Ichigo agreed. He followed his sister up the stairs and entered his room. It wasn't exactly what one would call 'clean' but it certainly wasn't cluttered.

He lay down on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. _Karin is most definitely too young to date, _he confirmed.

_And since when did Yuzu become so fond of Orihime?_ Ichigo wondered. He knew his sister had always admired the older girl. Especially after their mother died, it seemed like Orihime had always been around, like a mentor for her and Karin.

Ichigo scowled. He was grateful to her for helping them in ways he and his father could not, but it still bothered him that she was only doing it because of her feelings for him. ..._Right?_

_Was it possible that she just genuinely cared for Yuzu and Karin?_

Ichigo shook his head. Orihime was one of the kindest people he knew, but there was no reason for Orihime to take to his sisters like she did. Everyone knew she had feelings for him, this was just another way for her to show them.

Ichigo sighed. He didn't really have that much homework. There was just nothing else to do in Karakura. His friends were all busy and, in such a small town, nothing exciting ever happened anyway.

Deciding he was done moping, Ichigo rolled over and grabbed a book out of his backpack. He was supposed to have the first chapter read for class next week. _Might as well start now..._

He opened to the first page and settled in for a quiet night.

.

"Hey, little girl. You looking for work around here?" A middle-aged man gave her a big smile, minus a few teeth.

Rukia tried not to grimace in disgust. She couldn't imagine having to sink so low as to work in that kind of business. "No, thank you. Just passing by."

He ran his eyes up and down her body as she walked by but he didn't try anything inappropriate. Rukia's stomach twisted in hunger but this man wasn't really that bad. He provided young women with work when they might not otherwise have jobs. And he didn't harm any of them, Rukia could tell.

Surely, there were worse people in this city.

Unfortunately, it was barely evening. Usually Rukia preferred to walk around at night, but that was not an option today.

A bottle broke in an apartment just above her head. She listened carefully. A baby was crying and a woman was trying to muffle it. She dialed numbers on a phone but it never rang.

A door was forced open and Rukia grinned. This would do perfectly.

After scanning the street and seeing no one else, she reached the balcony of the apartment and set her bag down in the corner. She took the sliding door off its hinge, breaking the lock, and entered the dimly lit apartment.

A man was standing in the doorway of the bedroom. He was shirtless and clearly drunk. The woman and baby were still huddled in the opposite corner.

"Excuse me," Rukia cleared her throat politely.

The man turned around and looked at her in confusion. "Who're you?" He slurred.

He was stumbling towards her now and Rukia felt her mouth water in anticipation. Light left the entire apartment, leaving the four occupants in pitch black.

She heard the man trip over his own feet in the dark, but he never hit the floor.

It only took a few minutes and, much to Rukia's relief, the mother and child never moved. Finally, she was finished.

She licked the red liquid from her lips and looked around the room. Noticing a glass table in the center, she dropped the body on top of it.

Now, the cause of death was an accident and the woman could collect any insurance money.

Rukia let the light back into the apartment and silently left the way she had come. She waited a moment, until she heard the women dial again and the dispatcher answered.

Then, she made her way back to the train station, stomach comfortably full. She purchased a new ticket for Karakura town and boarded the train again, eager to reach the place of her birth.

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Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up in a few days :)

What do you think so far? Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Yay for chapter 2! Enjoy :)

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**Chapter 2**

"Miss Kuchiki?" The brunette secretary looked up from her desk.

Rukia stood and approached the woman.

"Here is your schedule. Your locker will be on the freshmen hall with the rest of your classmates, and you'll find your combination on the bottom of this sheet. Do you need help finding your first class?" The woman asked politely.

"No, thank you. I'll manage." Rukia answered, trying not to grin. She imagined she knew this school better than anyone, certainly better than this new part-time secretary who thought she looked attractive with her breasts falling out of her shirt.

"Very well. I hope you have a good first day here at Karakura High School," she said with a smile.

"I'm sure I will." Rukia left the office and headed to her locker across the school. She had enrolled as a freshman, mostly because she easily looked the part with her petite stature, but partly because it gave her three more years with an excuse if she decided she wanted to stay.

Surprisingly, she had yet to see Elisade since her arrival in Karakura. She had almost expected the irritating girl to be waiting for her at her home when she got in the day before.

Rukia found her locker easily and filled it with her textbooks for the day. She had no need for school notebooks but she had found that the teachers grew irritated when she didn't at least show up with the required literature, even though she never needed it.

The bell rang and Rukia headed to her first class. An odd smell reached her nose as she walked through the hall.

_Two of them are here now?_ _My, my, Elisade must be losing her touch. _Rukia smirked to herself. She knew the older wolf would never hurt her, but this new creature might prove to be a pest. She'd have to find it before the day was over and make sure it understood its place.

Settling into a vacant seat in the back of her first class, a Biology lab, Rukia took quick stock of her classmates. One girl off to the side caught her eye. She smelled delectable; Rukia almost couldn't believe that a human girl was radiating such a scent.

The dark-haired tomboy shifted awkwardly in her seat and Rukia quickly looked away. She hadn't realized she was staring so intently.

To distract herself, Rukia focused on refreshing her memory about the life of plant and animal cells. Arriving in the middle of the year like she had would mean taking some time to fully recall everything one was supposed to learn their freshman year of high school.

She skimmed the chapter and rolled her eyes. A week's worth of Biology lessons was now committed to memory. Rukia wondered if the rest of her classes would be so blissfully easy.

.

Ichigo arrived in his first class with seconds to spare.

He nodded to Chad, who sat next to him, and took his seat behind Orihime.

"Morning," he mumbled to the girl, still feeling slightly guilty for the way he had treated her the day before.

A long silence passed without an answer and Ichigo looked over at Chad. The tan boy shrugged.

"Oh, Ichigo! I didn't realize you were here!" The bubbly girl jumped in her seat. "Good morning!"

Ichigo regarded her strangely, but the pensive concentration on her face had vanished, replaced by her usual carefree expression.

"Morning," he repeated himself.

Orihime smiled widely at him but Ichigo managed to catch a trace of worry returning to her face as she turned back around in her seat.

_What's her problem...?_ Ichigo wondered to himself.

"Have you seen Renji recently?" Orihime asked casually, looking at Chad.

Ichigo watched his best friend's jaw tighten. "I saw him this morning. He's eating lunch with Ichigo and I."

"He is?" Ichigo asked. He didn't have a problem with the redhead but, because he was a year below them, they had never really interacted.

"Oh, all right." Orihime said absently.

Chad nodded in answer to his question and Ichigo looked at his two friends curiously. _Is everyone going crazy?_

They were certainly acting strange but Ichigo decided not to comment.

Renji Abarai had transferred to Karakura just two years ago and was a junior now. Ichigo knew he had had some discipline issues in the past. But, for some reason, Chad seemed to have taken it upon himself to be a friend to the kid and try to keep him out of trouble.

Renji was cool enough. Besides, Chad probably had a good reason for wanting him to eat with them.

_Maybe we're stopping him from vandalizing the school again... _Ichigo reasoned.

Their teacher chose that moment to arrive, pulling Ichigo from his thoughts. Class began, things went back to normal, and Ichigo almost forgot that they had ever been different in the first place.

.

Rukia scanned the cafeteria warily. Of course, she had forgotten to prepare for this human tradition. All the freshmen and sophomores in the school, all of her fellow 'classmates,' had flocked to this room when the bell rang for the first- and second-years' lunch and Rukia had had no choice but to follow.

Finally, she noticed the girl from her Biology class sitting at a table across the room.

_Well... Might as well give it a shot._ Rukia tried to laugh at herself for being nervous about something so frivolous but she found she couldn't quite hide her mild panic.

Rukia Kuchiki had grown well accustomed to not fitting in among certain types of people, but this was something else entirely.

"Um... Do you mind if I sit here?" She forced the question out, trying to appear friendly.

The tomboy looked her over, not bothering to hide her obvious inspection.

"You're in my Biology lab, right? You're new," she finally said.

"Yes. My name is Rukia Kuchiki." Rukia managed a smile.

"Karin," the tomboy said, gesturing to the chair closest to Rukia. "Go ahead. My sister Yuzu will be eating with us too."

Rukia tried to hide the surprise in her eyes. _There's another human that smells this good?_

"Thank you," Rukia said graciously as she took the chair. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Karin gave her another weird look. "Yeah..." she said, as if unsure how to respond. "You too."

The other sister arrived shortly and Rukia found that she was even more pleasant than the first sister.

_Maybe I'm not as full as I thought... _Rukia thought to herself. It was highly unusual for a human to be so appealing, much less two of them.

They only asked her once why she wasn't eating. She made up a story about arriving from far away and still adjusting to the time difference. Fortunately, they bought it and lunch went by quickly.

Rukia thanked them again for their kindness and went on her way to her next class.

The juniors and seniors filed past her, eager to get to their own lunch. But then, something stopped her in her tracks.

A boy with fiery red hair and angry eyes was just yards away. His features turned into a snarl at the sight of her and Rukia couldn't believe she hadn't sensed him coming earlier.

Before she had a chance to approach him, the other beast wrapped a strong arm around his shoulders and pulled him along to the cafeteria. They locked eyes and Rukia knew this mutt would definitely give her problems later on, no matter how hard the older one tried to monitor him.

Feeling satisfied that she now knew what the newest creature looked like, her thoughts were abruptly thrown into confusion as she found herself about to walk into the most beautiful boy she had ever seen.

Eyes wide, Rukia looked up to see surprise in his deep, amber eyes.

"Sorry," he stepped to the side to let her pass.

He continued walking and Rukia found herself staring after him, her mouth slightly open in awe.

The students behind her were getting restless. People pushed their way around her, bringing Rukia back to her senses.

She found her way to her next class in a daze. The rest of the day passed slowly, but Rukia didn't really notice.

All her thoughts were centered around one orange-haired boy.

.

Chad and Renji were talking quietly when Ichigo finally arrived at the lunch table. He almost couldn't believe what had just happened.

Surely, he had never seen that girl walking the halls of Karakura High before. She was unearthly beautiful, and he had almost run her over.

_Smooth move, Kurosaki... _Ichigo berated himself. He had tried to make his escape as quickly as possible but he had felt her eyes on him as he walked away.

She probably thought he was ridiculous. Still, he wanted to find her again. He had to know her name, at least. How had he never noticed her before?

Chad and Renji fell silent as he sat down and Ichigo briefly wondered what they had been talking about. Then, they began discussing their upcoming Literature exam and Ichigo allowed his thoughts to drift again.

_She was too short to be a senior... Maybe a junior? _He'd have to ask around. Ichigo mentally scolded himself again. If he could only see her again... Next time, he'd be sure to get her name.

.

The last bell finally rang and Rukia got up to leave school for the day. She decided she would come back tomorrow but after that, it was only necessary to attend once a week, at most, to keep up with assignments.

She returned her textbooks to her locker and headed out the door. Elisade had still not approached her, even though Rukia knew she was present.

_Maybe she'll visit tonight..._ Rukia thought idly.

She was rounding the corner of the gymnasium when she felt another presence. Rukia slowed to a stop; on this side of the building they'd be hidden from view of the main courtyard.

The redheaded boy from before appeared and Rukia felt her body tense in anticipation.

"What do you think you're doing here, blood-sucker? You're not welcome," he spat.

The younger boy's entire body was shaking and Rukia realized just how much he was struggling to control himself. She tried not to laugh.

"This is my home." Rukia spoke calmly. "I was here before you were even born."

He was in front of her in an instant. His eyes had a crazy look in them, but for some reason, they felt vaguely familiar to Rukia. She wondered if he would really change here, at the school, with so many potential observers.

"I'm not here to cause any problems. You can relax," she added. She knew she recognized his presence, but she couldn't place it.

"Like I'm going to buy that," he growled. His hands connected with her shoulders and held her against the brick wall of the gym.

"Calm down, you stupid mutt," Rukia hissed. Whether she knew the boy or not, the last thing she needed was to cause a scene.

"You need to leave," the boy said through clenched teeth. His fingers were digging into her shoulders and Rukia was about to take the light from his eyes when two figures appeared from around the corner.

Rukia's mouth fell open. _Of all the god damned-_

.

At the end of his last class, Ichigo made his way to the gymnasium. Chad had suggested that they go to the gym after school, so Ichigo met up with him along the way.

When they got to the front doors, Chad paused.

"Give me a minute," he said before walking around the side of the building.

Ichigo followed his friend curiously.

He noticed two figures leaning against the wall of the gymnasium and wondered how on Earth Chad had heard them from so far away.

"Renji?" Chad called.

The boy's red hair was obvious but who was he with? Ichigo frowned. It looked like he was hurting someone.

"Renji!" Chad repeated, approaching the pair. "What's going on?"

The younger boy backed away from the smaller figure and Ichigo suddenly recognized the girl he had seen in the hallway.

"We were just talking," Renji said quickly. He was obviously very jittery and Ichigo noticed his breathing was labored.

"Yes." The girl added. "Just a little chat between friends."

Chad ignored her comment and kept his hard stare on the redhead. "Are you ok?"

The younger boy looked at him like a startled animal before quickly dropping his gaze. "I'm fine." He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up at the girl before looking away again. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a good night, Renji," the girl said sweetly as he walked away.

The way she said it, it almost sounded like a threat, but Ichigo decided he must have been hearing things.

Ichigo waited for Chad to address the girl but instead, after a long, tense staring match, he turned and walked back to the gym.

Ichigo looked back to see the girl's reaction but she was already walking away as well. He wanted to call after her, to check on her, make sure Renji hadn't hurt her, but she was already too far away.

_For someone with such short legs, she certainly moves fast,_ Ichigo noted mentally. He watched her small frame walk across the courtyard, entranced.

"Ichigo?" Chad was already back at the front door, waiting for him.

Ichigo gave the petite girl one last look before catching up with his friend.

"What was that about?" He asked once they were inside.

Chad avoided his eyes. "I don't know what you mean."

Ichigo scoffed. "You know exactly what I mean. Renji just attacked that girl and you just let him go?"

"Renji did not attack anyone," the older boy said firmly.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Fine. You could have at least checked on her. What'd you do to piss her off? Do you know her?"

"I didn't do anything, Ichigo." Chad said, sounding tired of the questions.

"Do you know her?" Ichigo asked again.

Chad sat down on the weight bench and stared into the distance for so long Ichigo thought he was going to have to repeat himself.

"Rukia. She's new here. That's why she and Renji were talking. He was just being helpful. Just forget about it," he finally answered.

_Rukia..._ Ichigo's eyebrows rose. _So that's why I never saw her before._

"Are they friends? What year is she?" Ichigo asked.

Chad's jaw tightened and Ichigo wondered why he was so annoyed by the conversation. "She's a freshman, Ichigo. Just leave it alone."

His tone was irritated enough that Ichigo decided it was best to change the subject. Still, he didn't understand his friend's hostility towards the girl.

Chad was usually the epitome of calm. He was older than most of his classmates, about to turn 20, because he had been pulled out of public school and home-schooled by his grandfather for a few years when they were younger. The extra years had given him more time to mature, usually making him the voice of reason and someone Ichigo had always counted on to steer him in the right direction.

But just now, Ichigo couldn't understand why his friend had acted the way he did.

"You think you'll ask Tatsuki out?" Chad broke the silence.

Ichigo looked at him in surprise. The change in topic had caught him off guard. "Tatsuki? You think she has a thing for me?"

That was another thing Ichigo had always liked about Chad. The older boy had never once encouraged him to return Orihime's feelings.

"It certainly seems like it." Chad shrugged.

Ichigo laughed, slightly relieved that their usual dynamic had been re-established. "She's not really my type, but thanks for letting me know."

"Suit yourself," Chad smiled, handing Ichigo a weight that was much too heavy. Ichigo used two hands to put it back on the rack and scowled. He knew the more muscular boy was teasing him.

He returned his attention to his own work out and found his thoughts drifting back to the girl.

_Rukia... _Ichigo grimaced. _Why does she have to be just a freshman?_

.

_Stupid wolf... _Rukia grumbled to herself as she entered her house. _Both of them!_

She dropped her bag on a table by the door and hung her coat on a hook on the wall. Then, she crossed her arms and tried to decide what she wanted to do next.

She'd have to eat before going to school again. She didn't want to be even slightly tempted around so many people.

A presence was walking towards the house, Rukia noticed. A sense like a warm breeze surrounded her and she smiled.

"Come in," she called before the other person could knock on the door.

The beautiful, ethereal figure entered into the house and Rukia took in the new appearance of her old acquaintance.

"Well, Elisade, I was beginning to think you were ignoring me." Rukia grinned wickedly.

The other girl did not look nearly as amused. "Of course, I was not ignoring you. I just didn't realize you still needed a guardian at every moment like a child."

She sniffed in irritation. "And please, if you don't mind, I go by Orihime now."

* * *

So, what do you all think? :) Let me know if it's too confusing; I'm trying to be suspenseful and clear at the same time.

And please review! They make me smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Happy Friday!

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**Chapter 3**

_"Well, Elisade, I was beginning to think you were ignoring me." Rukia grinned wickedly._

_"Of course, I was not ignoring you. I just didn't realize you still needed a guardian at every moment like a child." _

_She sniffed in irritation. "And please, if you don't mind, I go by Orihime now."_

Rukia's eyebrows rose in amusement. "You've had hundreds of years to think, and that's the best you could come up with?"

The redhead frowned. "It means princess. I got it from a story about two lovers who-"

"Are you here to bore me into leaving Karakura?" Rukia asked dryly. "Because it just might be working."

"I'm here to talk, Rukia." She crossed her arms. "Are you going to invite me in like a civilized being or should I make myself comfortable in your hallway?"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Fine. Come on in."

She led the girl into a large sitting room. Elisade, now Orihime, sat down on a delicate couch across from Rukia, but her eyes continued roaming around the large mansion.

"This house always did amaze me. I'm surprised you've gotten it in such good order in such little time," the redhead finally spoke.

"My brother hires people to do things like that for him," Rukia commented curtly.

"Of course he does," Orihime said derisively. "How is he?"

"Busy." Rukia shrugged. "He won't be visiting for some time."

The other girl nodded. "Well, I suppose I'll just get to it, then. Why are you here, Rukia?"

Rukia pursed her lips. "You're trying to make me feel unwelcome in my own home? That's quite forward of you, Elisade."

She drew the name out on purpose, pleased by the obvious irritation it caused her company.

"I'd prefer you call me Orihime. Even here, you never know who might be listening."

Rukia kept her sarcastic comments to herself, still waiting for an explanation from the other girl.

"My intention is not to make you feel unwelcome," Orihime finally continued. "But surely you understand my interest. I only want to ensure the safety of the people of Karakura."

"Well, you've obviously been doing quite a job of that. I had a run-in with that new beast after school today. He's certainly more of a danger to these people than I am, don't you think?" Rukia said venomously.

The redhead frowned again. "Renji is... learning still. But he's gaining more and more control every day. I would never let him hurt anyone. If I thought he was a risk, he wouldn't be here. You know that."

"If you say so." Rukia looked at her skeptically. "But, to address your concern, I'm simply here to enjoy the comforts of my old home. I have no desire to travel with my brother and try to make peace among all the other creatures in this world."

Orihime regarded her thoughtfully. "Your eating habits have not changed with Byakuya's?"

Rukia smiled wryly. "I have yet to settle for the taste of animals, if that's what you're asking. But, please, do not distress yourself. I plan to go into the city at least once a week. If I recall correctly, that is well outside your territory?"

"The unnecessary loss of human life is always a tragedy, regardless of where it occurs," Orihime said sharply. "But, you are correct. I will not interfere with your habits outside of Karakura."

"Then we should not have a problem." Rukia stood, a sign that she was finished with the conversation.

Orihime rose with her. "I am pleased to hear that."

Rukia walked with her back to the front door. The redhead reached for the door handle before pausing.

"Please... Do not antagonize Renji," she asked. "Your presence is difficult enough already, for everyone.

Rukia noted the underhanded message in the girl's request.

"I will do as I please," Rukia spoke sharply. "It is no concern of mine if you've failed to do your duty by allowing such a dangerous creature to live among your people." She opened the door stiffly and met Orihime's irritatingly honey-colored eyes.

The redhead sighed. "We are all dangerous, Rukia. The key is working together, instead of letting our pride put innocent lives at risk." She nodded politely and stepped outside before adding curtly, "I'm surprised you haven't learned that from your brother yet."

Rukia slammed the door shut forcefully behind the girl as she left.

_Who does she think she is? She has no right to speak about Brother like that! _

Rukia's fists were clenched tightly and she paced up and down the hall trying to control her temper.

_What does she know about Byakuya? Nothing! _

Surely, there was nothing wrong with her way of life, Rukia fumed. She found herself on the back porch, looking out over the vast garden Byakuya had designed himself.

Tears welled in her eyes and she kicked the freshly painted, pure white fence down so that it fell on the flower bushes below.

_Not like it matters..._ Rukia stared unsympathetically at the broken piece of wood. _Hisana can't see it anymore anyway._

She furiously brushed the wetness away from her eyes. Her naturally violet irises were filling with an inky black; she could feel it.

The corners of Rukia's lips curled upward. She'd do more than antagonize that stupid mutt.

But first, she needed to eat.

Rukia pulled a black coat over her school uniform and headed out the door.

.

The next day at school, Ichigo kept his eyes open for the new girl. He knew nothing would come of it, she was only a freshman after all, but it couldn't hurt to look.

Besides, there was something strange about the younger girl with the mesmerizing eyes and the way she affected people.

When the bell for lunch rang, Ichigo walked to the cafeteria alone. Chad had never showed up for class that morning so Ichigo decided he had no choice but to sit with Orihime and her friends.

The pretty girl smiled as he sat down. "I'm so glad you're eating with us today, Ichigo."

Ichigo tried to smile in return but his attention was claimed by three girls on their way out of the cafeteria. Karin and Yuzu were late leaving lunch, to Ichigo's surprise. But what really shocked him was the fact that they were talking with Rukia.

_Of course!_ Ichigo felt like hitting himself on the forehead. _If she's a freshman, Yuzu and Karin would have to have met her._

"Is there something wrong, Ichigo?" Orihime asked quietly.

Ichigo turned back to the table quickly. "I was just watching Yuzu and Karin. They're going to be late to their next class."

Orihime's eyes narrowed by the smile stayed on her face. "I'm sure they're fine. Nothing to worry about."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, trying to hide his obvious interest in the girl standing with his sisters.

The dark haired girl walked past with Yuzu and Karin. Yuzu gave him a small wave and Karin paid him no attention, as usual.

But the new girl's gaze connected with his and Ichigo blushed. She looked mildly surprised and her eyes swept over to look at Orihime. Then, she grinned and Ichigo watched the trio leave the cafeteria.

_What was that about..._ Ichigo wondered to himself.

"Do you know her?" He asked Orihime.

She looked at him curiously. "What are you talking about? I didn't see anyone."

Her tone was innocent and, though Ichigo couldn't believe that she could have missed the petite girl's expression, she had no reason to hide anything. Orihime had always been so open and honest with him, he doubted she had ever told a lie in her life.

"Try this," she handed him half of a piece of cake, changing the subject. "I made it myself."

Ichigo looked at the squishy blob in front of him. He poked it and white icing oozed from the middle.

"Looks great," he finally forced out. "Thanks."

The redhead beamed and went back to talking with her other friends. Ichigo inconspicuously wrapped the cake in a napkin and decided he'd have to ask his sisters about their new friend.

.

"Karin, we're going to be late!" Yuzu pestered her sister.

"History can wait until I've finished my potatoes," the tomboy shrugged.

Rukia smiled. The twins were more pleasant to be around than she had expected. The fact that she had gone into the city last night and eaten a known rapist had also done wonders for her mood as well.

After returning home at four in the morning, Rukia had spent her time drawing on the back porch instead of looking for trouble with Renji like she had originally intended. Completing a masterpiece as she watched the sunrise had cooled her temper and she decided the mutt wasn't worth the trouble.

And, to add to her good fortune, he wasn't even present at school today. Rukia almost couldn't believe her luck.

The late bell rang and Yuzu finally prodded Karin into leaving her unfinished lunch in order to make it to class.

Rukia followed her new acquaintances past tables filled with upperclassmen and out of the cafeteria. She noticed Elisade sitting with a number of humans, seemingly enjoying herself.

_That boy..._ Rukia tried not to let her surprise show. Elisade was sitting with that orange haired boy Rukia had taken an interest in the other day.

_I should have known they would be friends,_ Rukia grinned. The redheaded girl was radiating irritation and it was clear that she didn't like the attention Rukia was giving the boy beside her.

She left the cafeteria behind Karin and Yuzu, briefly wondering what their relationship was.

It certainly was curious, Rukia realized. _How does a human end up with so many ...unusual friends?_

.

Ichigo tried calling Chad after school but he only got his voicemail. He decided he would just go home, stopping by the grocery store to get the things Yuzu had wanted for dinner.

Karin was at soccer practice, like everyday after school, and Yuzu had sewing club on Tuesdays so the house was empty when Ichigo got there.

He put the groceries away before going over to his father's clinic to see if he needed any help.

"You're sure you want to hang around here? I can manage things if you want to go out with your friends, you know," Dr. Kurosaki informed his son.

Ichigo shrugged. "I don't mind."

And it was true. Ichigo was planning on becoming a doctor like his father and usually enjoyed working with him at the clinic. This was the only time Isshin Kurosaki acted even remotely serious.

Ichigo spent the next few hours running basic tests and talking with patients for his father. Every once and while, the thought crossed his mind that he should probably get more friends, but it never lasted long.

All in all, Ichigo was content. His life might not be very exciting, but he was only a high school student. One trying to get into medical school, no less.

_Really, I should be grateful,_ he told himself after sending another patient off with a bottle of antibiotics.

"Well, it looks like it's about time to close up shop for the night. You all set?" Isshin asked once the sun began to set.

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, I already took inventory and filed the prescription slips."

The doctor smiled and clapped his son on the shoulder. "You're an angel. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Ichigo shifted away from the touch. He never felt like he really deserved all the praise his father laid on him; a real intern would do a much better job.

"So, do you want to talk about her?" Isshin asked as they walked home.

"Talk about who?" Ichigo frowned.

"The girl that's got you so wrapped up in your own head," his father answered, grinning.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. He was _not_ still thinking about Rukia. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The doctor laughed. "Suit yourself. Yuzu will tell me soon enough, though. And you know how she likes to exaggerate details sometimes."

"There's nothing to tell," Ichigo insisted, making a mental note to watch what details he shared with his overly-romantic, fairy-tale obsessed sister.

"I'm sure your mother would have loved her," Isshin commented quietly before they entered the house.

Ichigo didn't bother responding, but it got him thinking.

_Would Mom have liked Rukia?_ His first thought was that his mother had always seemed to like everyone.

_But they're so different... _Ichigo's mother had been so happy with life, always exuding warmth, like the sun.

_That must be why Yuzu and Karin like Orihime so much,_ Ichigo realized. The redhead was incredibly similar to their mother.

But Rukia was something entirely different. She was just as beautiful as his mother, but in a different way: the complete opposite way.

She was so mysterious, like she had a secret. Ichigo frowned.

He was certain a girl like that did more exciting things with her life than homework and working on improving her college resume.

_Give it up, idiot... She's just a freshman who happens to be kind of pretty. She's probably completely normal, just like you._

Ichigo shook his head. No matter how many times he told himself, he still couldn't convince himself that Rukia was completely normal.

.

Rukia added another rabbit to her masterpiece that evening. This one had spikey orange hair and a deep frown.

_Why does he always look so unhappy?_ Rukia pondered as she finished the last few details.

Then, when it was finished, she broke the canvas in half. It was foolish to concern herself with thoughts like that. She placed a fresh one on the easel and went inside to throw the two halves in the fireplace.

Rukia watched the colors melt into each other silently. Then, instead of writing a response to her brother like she had intended, she decided to go for a long walk around the city. It was always interesting to see how businesses and restaurants changed over the years.

Renji and his friend had already eaten that day. She knew they wouldn't be prowling around that night so she left the blank piece of paper at her desk for tomorrow. Besides, since she no longer needed to attend school for the week, she'd have plenty of time.

Even enough time to fix the stupid fence she had broken earlier before Byakuya returned and saw the destruction.

Rukia waited for the fire to burn itself out, and then exited the house to enjoy the quiet night air.

* * *

Review? :)


	4. Chapter 4

On the bright side, Monday's over :)

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Ichigo looked around the cafeteria. After failing to find what he was looking for, he returned to his lunch sullenly.

Chad watched him curiously but didn't say anything.

It was Friday, and Ichigo had not seen the violet-eyed girl since Tuesday. It bothered him more than it should have but he tried to brush it off.

_I wonder what she's doing..._

Ichigo sighed. This was ridiculous.

"We should do something tonight," he announced, trying to distract himself.

"What do you want to do?" Chad asked.

"I don't know." Ichigo shrugged. "It's a Friday night; we should go into the city or something."

"I can't go out tonight," Chad said. "Sorry."

Ichigo frowned at his friend's unusual response. "Since when did you become so busy?" he grumped.

Then, he realized he was being unfair. "I'll just ask Orihime, I guess."

"That sounds like a good idea." Chad smiled. "Just stay away from the bad areas."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I think I can take care of anyone who gives us trouble."

Between the pair, they had gotten into a number of fights for their differences: orange hair, giant stature, and bad attitudes. Fortunately, time had cooled their tempers and they rarely found themselves getting into the pointless conflicts that had shaped their high school years.

Still, Ichigo was surprised that Chad didn't think he could take care of himself.

_I've never lost a fight before... Especially not if Orihime would be in danger too. What on Earth does he think I have to be careful of?_

**.**

_Dearest Brother,_

_I arrived in Karakura on schedule. The house is even more beautiful than I remembered. Thank you._

_I'm sorry to hear about the Russian wolves stubbornness. I'm sure they'll come around eventually._

_Speaking of wolves, there is a new one here. He tried to threaten me the other d _

_..._

Rukia crossed the last line out.

_There is a new wolf in Karakura. He's very immatu_

She crossed through that line as well.

_I have had no trouble with any of the other creatures here. Everything feels just like I left it. _

_I hope you will be able to come and see it with me soon._

_Yours truly,_

_Rukia_

Rukia stared at the piece of paper.

_It'll have to do... _The dumb thing had taken her almost a week to write. If she delayed any longer, Byakuya would surely worry, and she pitied the force that would have to take on her concerned brother.

Rukia quickly rewrote her letter onto a sheet of stationary and folded it into an envelope. She had to go into the city to eat anyway, she might as well visit someone who could deliver the note for her.

She tucked it away in her coat and, realizing the sun was already setting, decided to be on her way. The criminals and dangerous people of the city would just be coming out, and Rukia looked forward to running into one or two.

.

First thing first, Rukia stopped by the shop of an old friend to try to find a letter carrier. She knocked on the wooden door and waited.

Finally, a blonde old man answered. His lips curled into a smile when he recognized his visitor.

"Rukia, I thought you would never come! I've been waiting ever since I knew you were in Karakura." He gestured for her to follow him inside.

Rukia took the chair he offered her in his living room that doubled as an office. The house was oddly quiet.

"Is Tessai out with the children?" She asked, trying to make polite conversation.

The man stiffened in his chair and Rukia wished she could see his expression under the brim of his hat.

But, his unease lasted only a fraction of a second. "I guess you wouldn't have heard, being gone for so long."

His tone was pleasant but Rukia could hear a deep pain underneath. She regretted asking.

"They're... gone," he finally answered. "There was a werewolf attack, just outside the city. Tessai did all he could, of course, but there's only so much a vampire in his ...condition could have done. Jinta managed to survive, but my little Ururu..." he trailed off.

"I'm so sorry." Rukia bowed her head.

"Perhaps you've seen him?" The blonde asked quietly.

Rukia wondered if the old man was going crazy with grief. "Who are you talking about, Mr. Urahara?"

"Jinta," he said as if it were obvious. "I think he goes by another name now, but I know he's in Karakura. I can still feel when he changes."

Rukia's mouth fell open. _That's why those eyes felt so familiar... _

It made sense now. She had recognized Renji's presence; she just couldn't place it as the redheaded boy's because it had been entwined with the feeling of a werewolf.

"He's... Could his new name be Renji?"

A sad smile crossed Urahara's face. "Of course, he picked that superhero's name. You remember that show, don't you? It was their favorite..."

Rukia's chest tightened painfully. She did remember. Every time she came by Urahara's, the human orphans he had taken in would be sitting in this very room, glued to the television, instead of doing their chores.

Rukia had almost expected the old man to have another abandoned child or stray creature in his home this time, but the loss of his makeshift family must have been too painful for him to start again.

"He's doing well, you know," she said, hoping to cheer him slightly. "He's incredibly strong, and he has one more year of high school before he graduates."

"Is that so?" Urahara was still smiling. "I always knew he was a smart boy. I tried to give him space, you know. I never visited or went to Karakura, but I never left this city. I hope he knows that he'll always have a home here."

"I'm sure he does. I'm sure he'll come back soon, once he adjusts to the change." Rukia tried to smile back. "Besides, you remember how hard it was to be around other creatures when you first changed. He just needs some time."

"I suppose you're right." Urahara nodded. He clasped his hands together in front of his face and sighed. "Well, now, I don't think you came by to hear about an old man's sadness."

Rukia suddenly remembered the letter in her pocket. "If it's not too much trouble..." she paused.

"You know it's not, Rukia. What can I do for you?" He asked, sounding much more like the good-natured businessman she knew.

"I have a letter for my brother. I believe he's still in Russia." Rukia pulled the envelope out and set it on the table.

Urahara picked the object up and examined it. Rukia wondered if he was reading it. She wouldn't have written anything too personal in a letter anyway, but she knew the old man's powers lay in his eyes. He was quite talented at seeing things humans and most other creatures could not, such as things very far away or incredibly small.

And, he could also look through objects to see other things, such as an envelope to read a letter. Rukia cleared her throat.

"My apologies, it's a habit." Urahara quickly put the letter down. "I do have someone taking a package to France tomorrow. I'm sure he can manage the detour."

Rukia smiled. "Thank you. My brother will pay any fees upon delivery."

"Very well." The blonde man took the letter in his hand and stood. "I'm glad you were able to visit me, Rukia. It's been so long since you've come anywhere near here. I'm sorry I only had somber news."

He walked with her to the front porch.

"It was my pleasure," Rukia insisted. "I'll try to visit more often."

"I look forward to it. Good night, dear," he said as she left the house.

"Good night, Mr. Urahara," she said in return, feeling incredibly guilty for leaving the old man alone in such an empty house.

.

_11:36 _

Ichigo looked at his watch and sighed. _Maybe it's time to go home..._

He was alone. Even though he had seen Orihime plenty of times that day, he was never quite able to bring himself to invite her out with him. She would've taken it the wrong way, and Ichigo didn't want to deal with the repercussions of_ that_ conversation.

So, naturally, he was wandering the city streets, by himself, at night, like a complete lunatic.

A group of guys were huddled together in a corner. One of them grinned and nudged another guy as Ichigo walked past.

_Definitely time to go home, _Ichigo decided. He could do without getting into a gang fight.

He turned the corner and started back to his car, just a few blocks away. He tried not to make eye contact with the people in the alleys, usually drug dealers and addicts or prostitutes.

A small scuffle did catch his attention though, when he was just yards away from his car. Ichigo could see two people, most likely a girl and a man considering the significant height difference.

The shiny metal of a knife glinted in the darkness of the alley and Ichigo paused, wondering if he should yell or just jump the guy.

But before he could take a step, the larger figure flew backwards, colliding hard with a brick wall.

The man got up, cursing furiously, and lunged forward. Ichigo took this as his signal to move. He charged into the alleyway and tried to tackle the man before he could reach the young girl.

Ichigo's arms were outstretched and he waited for the impact, but none ever came. He tried to locate the man but it was incredibly dark. Ichigo couldn't even see past his own nose.

He was starting to panic when someone bumped into him. The tall stature and deep growl gave the figure away and Ichigo instinctively threw a punch. There was a loud groan and Ichigo tried to hit the man again before the knife could connect with his own skin.

The man was still bent over in pain and Ichigo felt his fist just graze the greasy head, but then the man gave a sharp cry and fell to the ground.

_I must have really hit him... _Ichigo was stunned. He realized he could see the figure on the ground now; the alley was suddenly flooded with light from the street lamps.

The man was clutching his head and crawling towards the main street. "I'm sorry," he whimpered. "Please, make it stop. I'm so sorry."

He finally managed to get on his feet and took off running. Ichigo watched him retreat in confusion.

"Well, you really shook him up," a feminine voice said.

Ichigo finally noticed the girl. She must have been standing across from him this whole time, he just never noticed.

_Rukia..._

Ichigo couldn't hide his shock.

"You... Are you all right?" He tried to focus. "Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine," the girl answered, looking more than slightly amused.

Ichigo tried not to blush under her gaze. "Good," he cleared his throat. "Do you... want me to walk you to your car or something?"

The dark haired girl stared at him for a moment before answering. "I'll just call a taxi, thank you"

Ichigo frowned. "I can't just let you go off by yourself. Why don't you let me drive you home?"

Rukia looked like she was about to laugh again. "Really, I'm all right. Thank you, but I'll just be on my way now."

"Wait a minute," Ichigo caught up to her. "I'm serious. My car is right here. It's really not a problem."

Rukia looked up at him with her calculating eyes, and Ichigo wondered how he had never noticed how dark they were. Her irises almost looked black in this light.

"Fine," she finally answered. "If you insist."

"I do," Ichigo led the way to his car and opened the passenger door before climbing into the driver's seat.

Rukia sat down stiffly and kept her gaze forward. She was suddenly silent.

Ichigo tried to watch her discreetly as he turned the car on and fastened his seat belt.

She really was stunning, he realized. Her pale skin was almost glowing in the faint light and her hair was a silky black that contrasted perfectly. Her eyes, they looked more purple now, were framed by thick, dark lashes and her delicate lips were held tight in an impatient expression.

"Seatbelt," Ichigo finally broke the silence.

"What?" Rukia snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him curiously.

"You need to put your seatbelt on," he mumbled.

"Oh," she looked foreignly at the long strap for a moment before pulling it across her body and buckling it.

They drove the first few miles in silence.

"I'm Ichigo, by the way," Ichigo said, trying to break the awkward tension.

"Rukia," the girl said simply.

"So, what were you doing in the city?" Ichigo asked in an attempt to continue the conversation.

"I was... visiting a friend," Rukia said carefully.

"Oh," Ichigo kept his eyes on the road.

"And you?" She asked after a moment.

"Umm... Shopping." Ichigo finally answered. Technically, it was true. He had stopped in a few music stores and it sounded a lot better than what he was really doing.

"Oh," she said quietly.

"You go to Karakura High, right?" Ichigo asked quickly, refusing to let the conversation die. "I've seen you in the halls."

Rukia nodded. "I enrolled last week."

"Why'd you leave your old school?" Ichigo asked next.

This seemed to stump her for a moment.

"Family issues," she answered after thinking for a moment.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ichigo decided to move on. "What year are you?"

"First year," Rukia answered.

"Do you know Yuzu and Karin Kurosaki? They're freshmen too." Of course, Ichigo already knew the answer. He just hoped that informing her of their relation would cause her to warm up to him.

"We've met," she said simply.

"Oh," Ichigo smiled before proudly adding, "They're my little sisters."

Rukia turned to look at him for the first time since they had left the city. Her bright violet eyes were wide in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah," Ichigo nodded, slightly disappointed. Unfortunately, her reaction was more shock and less admiration than he had hoped for.

"I didn't know," she said quietly, lost in her own thoughts. She stared out the window again and Ichigo felt like the conversation had finally come to an end.

"Where do you live?" He asked when they reached Karakura.

"The last house on Seireitei Lane," Rukia answered.

Ichigo frowned. "You mean the mansion near the forest? You actually live there?"

Rukia's eyes narrowed. "You don't like the house?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant," Ichigo tried to recover. "I'm just... I thought it had been empty for years."

A faint smile crossed the girl's face. "I just moved in. I'm quite fond of it, though."

Ichigo stopped himself from saying anything else about the creepy old house. He drove down the long street until they reached the lonely mansion.

It was even more intimidating than he remembered.

"Well, here we are," Ichigo announced.

"Thank you for the ride," Rukia opened the door and smiled sincerely at him for the first time since they had gotten in the car.

"Any time," Ichigo shrugged, trying to hide his faint blush by avoiding her enchanting expression.

Rukia got out of the car and Ichigo found himself watching her milky white legs elongate as she stood.

"Good night, Ichigo," she said sweetly, and Ichigo got the impression that she had caught him staring.

"See you Monday," he said quickly.

She closed the car door and walked up the stairs to the front porch. For a moment, Ichigo thought he saw her looking back at him before she vanished behind the huge door, but then he decided he was only seeing things.

_I must really be losing it..._

Ichigo drove around his neighborhood an extra two times to try to clear his mind. But, even as he climbed into bed at 2 a.m., he still couldn't get the shadowy girl out of his head.

* * *

More mysteries! Let's see how tangled up I can make this before I get myself confused :)

Also, I'm working on another IchiRuki project called First Impressions. It'd be really awesome of you guys to go check that out too if you're looking for more reading material.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello lovelies :)

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_"Do you know Yuzu and Karin Kurosaki? They're freshmen too." _

Rukia wondered why he insisted on asking her so many stupid questions.

"We've met,"she said, hoping to discourage further conversation. She had never imagined it would be this difficult just sitting in the same car as this sunshine-haired boy.

_Of course, the fool did interrupt my dinner... _

"Oh," Ichigo was smiling now. "They're my little sisters."

Rukia struggled to hide the fact that she was dumbstruck. "Really?" She finally managed to ask.

"Yeah," Ichigo nodded.

"I didn't know," she mumbled.

And it was true. If Rukia had had any idea that he was related to the tantalizing humans, if she had known it would be such a challenge just to breath the same air as this Ichigo Kurosaki, she never would have gotten in this stupid car and subjected herself to this torture.

_How could I not have realized this earlier?_

Rukia had to restrain herself from hitting her head against the car window. Their relation should have been obvious; all three siblings had the same distinct scent.

_Like fruit and flowers and-_

The boy was watching her again, out of the corner of his eye. Rukia shifted uncomfortably, too aware of the attention placed on her. At least, he didn't seem to have any more questions.

Rukia felt a change in the air outside the car, deep in the forest. She tried to focus on tracking the new wolf as he ran like a wild animal through the forest. They were close to Karakura now and Rukia was almost surprised Elisade let him change so close to town.

Still, Rukia thought to herself, if this creature really was that little boy Urahara raised, he couldn't be as bad as she had previously thought. She'd still have to keep her guard up; for some reason, her kind always seemed to get other creatures all riled up. But, she could try a little harder not to make things so difficult for him.

"Where do you live?" Ichigo asked, pulling Rukia from her thoughts.

"The last house on Seireitei Lane," she answered.

The boy frowned, like she knew he would. "You mean the mansion near the forest? You actually live there?"

Rukia's eyes narrowed. She happened to like her home. "You don't like the house?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant," he tried to recover. "I'm just... I thought it had been empty for years."

He was certainly trying, Rukia realized. He was going out of his way to unnaturally nice to her, and Rukia wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

"I just moved in." She said finally. "I'm quite fond of it, though."

"Well, here we are," he announced, slowing to a stop in front of the house.

"Thank you for the ride," Rukia had the door open the second they stopped moving. She took a deep breath and, feeling more in control, allowed herself to give the boy one of her most charming smiles.

"Any time," Ichigo shrugged.

Rukia took her time getting out of the car, relishing in the result: warm, simmering heat radiating from his flushed cheeks.

"Good night, Ichigo," she said sweetly, noting the way his heart thudded pleasantly in his chest.

"See you Monday," the boy said quickly.

Rukia stole one last glance at him before going into the house. He was watching her too, of course, but she suspected that he couldn't see her nearly as clearly with only the moon for light.

She listened to him drive away before going and sitting down in the living room. Her face feel into her heads and she groaned.

_Rukia, Rukia, Rukia... What are you doing?_

.

Monday arrived much too soon for Ichigo's liking. He forced himself out of bed and slid into class just as the late bell rang.

"Did you have a good weekend?" Orihime asked pleasantly as he sat down.

Ichigo shrugged. "I guess. You?"

The redhead smiled excitedly at his interest and began a long list of all the things she had done. "Well, I planted a lot of new seeds in my garden, I made a new recipe too; you'll have to come over sometime and try it, and then, I went for a walk, and..."

Ichigo tuned her out after a moment. Class went by slowly, and he almost jumped up out of his seat when it was time to go to lunch. It wasn't until he was walking down the hallway that he realized how excited he was to see Rukia again.

But, the girl was nowhere to be found.

The table she usually sat at was empty and his sisters were already on their way to their next classes. Ichigo frowned.

"Something wrong?" Chad asked, taking his usual seat at their table.

Ichigo shook his head.

Chad raised an eyebrow doubtfully.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. The tan boy was so quiet, he and Ichigo had developed an almost uncanny ability to communicate without actually talking.

"I mean it." Ichigo had already decided against telling his friend about his run in with the dark haired girl until he knew more about why they were on such bad terms.

"Is Renji eating with us today?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

"No," Chad shrugged. "I don't think he's feeling well. He didn't come to school today."

Ichigo didn't bother trying to look concerned. "Has he had any more problems with that freshman girl?"

Chad's jaw tightened but his voice never changed. "They never had a problem. I don't think he's seen her since then, though."

Ichigo figured Chad had no reason to lie. "Have you seen her recently? I still don't understand why you don't like her."

The older boy sighed. "I have no feelings one way or the other about her, Ichigo. Really. And I haven't seen her."

Ichigo nodded and didn't ask any more questions. Chad was clearly tired of this conversation.

"Why didn't you ask Orihime to go with you on Friday?" He asked.

"How do you know that I didn't?" Ichigo responded.

"Did you?"

"...no."

A small smile pulled at the corners of Chad's lips.

Ichigo shrugged. "I just didn't want her to get the wrong idea. It's already awkward enough."

"I don't think it's awkward," Chad said simply.

"Well, of course you don't," Ichigo rolled his eyes. "You're not the one she's constantly inviting over or following around or talking to about her garden and weird food."

"You think she does all that because she has feelings for you?" Chad asked.

"She left cookies outside my door Sunday morning!" Ichigo almost threw his hands in the air for emphasis. "Why else would she do that?"

Chad looked thoughtful for a moment. "Are there any left?"

Ichigo frowned. "No. Dad and Karin ate like, 20 apiece. You're really no help, you know that?"

"She made you 40 cookies?" Chad's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"That's what I'm saying," Ichigo shook his head. "It's like she doesn't sleep or something."

"I think she just really enjoys baking," Chad suggested. "Her food's actually pretty good. You should give it a chance."

"Whatever," Ichigo said. "Yuzu's just as good a cook. You can have whatever Orihime comes up with next."

The bell rang to end lunch and Chad looked pleased with the new arrangement as they stood up to leave the cafeteria.

.

Rukia was relieved when school finally ended for the day.

After the night before, she decided she couldn't risk any more interaction with the boy. She had successfully navigated the halls between classes so that Ichigo never saw her, but he was harder to track when they weren't cramped together in the school building.

Also, it had caught her attention that Renji seemed to have chosen not to attend classes today.

Maybe they'd be able to work something out after all, if she only showed up on Mondays and he only went to school the other four days.

On top of that, lunch had also gone well, like always. She explained that she had eaten in her Culinary Arts class, which she wasn't actually taking, but the sisters seemed to believe it.

They really were pleasant girls. Rukia imagined they would have been real friends if they had been the same age.

_But there's no use dwelling on silly things..._ She reminded herself.

.

When Ichigo got home after school, he still had not seen Rukia.

He wasted time by reading a book for school until Yuzu and Karin got home from sewing club and soccer practice.

"Hey," Ichigo put the book down when they walked through the door. "I wanted to talk to you guys."

Yuzu and Karin exchanged looks.

"Right, you can talk to Yuzu. I'm going to take a shower!" Karin quickly made her escape up the stairs to her room to change.

"What did you want to talk about?" Yuzu asked once the dark haired twin was gone.

Ichigo sighed. This would be a tricky conversation. "You're friends with Rukia, right? She's new and-"

"How do you know Rukia?" Yuzu interrupted him.

"She's friends with Renji," Ichigo lied. "I was just wondering what you know about her."

Yuzu gave him a skeptical look. "Well, her first day was last Tuesday. She doesn't come to school very often but she's really smart."

"How do you know she's really smart?" Ichigo asked.

"She's already caught up with our assignments in Lit. and Karin says she got the highest mark on their Biology test today," Yuzu informed him.

Ichigo frowned. "She was at school today?"

Yuzu nodded. "Yeah, she eats lunch with us whenever she's at school."

_How did I not see her? _Ichigo wondered. He had been looking all day.

"Anything else?" He asked.

Yuzu shrugged. "She's nice. I think she has problems at home because she always seems kind of sad but she never talks about it. She mostly just asks questions." Then, Yuzu frowned. "She never mentioned that she knew you. Have you actually talked to her?"

Ichigo tried to think of a decent response. Fortunately, Karin chose that moment to come back downstairs.

"Are you guys done yet? I'm hungry," the tomboy complained.

"Hush, Karin," Yuzu scolded. "Ichigo and I are discussing his crush."

Ichigo felt his face turn red. "Yuzu! That's not it at all!"

Karin was certainly interested in the conversation now. "Really? Who is it?"

"No one," Ichigo stood up. "Let's get dinner."

Yuzu gasped, just now realizing something. "But Ichigo! She's just a freshman! You said yourself that freshmen are too young to date!"

"Ichigo's in love with a freshman?" Karin's jaw dropped.

"I'm not in love with anyone!" Ichigo sputtered. "I was just curious about your new friend; I'm looking out for you two!"

"No way," Karin shook her head. "You mean Rukia? You're in love with Rukia!"

Yuzu started giggling along with her sister. "He'd have to get on his knees just to kiss her!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I don't like Rukia, ok? Just drop it."

Karin was wiping tears from her eyes. "Whatever you say, lover boy."

"I still can't believe our big brother finally admitted he has feelings," Yuzu chirped, grinning widely.

"Enough," Ichigo groaned. _I shouldn't have even asked..._

"Oh, Ichigo, you know we're just kidding," Yuzu smiled, wrapping her arms around his. "But you better not do anything to upset Rukia. She's too pretty for you anyway."

Karin snickered and Ichigo rolled his eyes at the comment. "Thanks, Yuzu. I appreciate that."

"It's true." Karin nudged him teasingly. "Can we start dinner now? Dad should be home any minute."

Ichigo definitely did not want his father involved in this conversation in any way. "Good idea, Karin."

"I'll put the water on," Yuzu clasped her hands together and smiled. "Just let us know if there's anything we can do to help your relationship along."

She winked before disappearing into the kitchen and Ichigo resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

But it was true; Rukia was only a freshman. He really shouldn't be interested in her like he was. Somehow, though, she felt older than she really was. And Ichigo couldn't help feeling strangely attracted to her.

Maybe she'd be at school tomorrow. Maybe he'd see her. Maybe they'd talk.

Karin called for him to come sit down for dinner. He obeyed, feeling foolish for being so hopeful.

* * *

I'm sorry this was kind of boring; the next one will be more exciting ;)


	6. Chapter 6

I can't really think of anything to say... So, why does Snoop Dogg carry an umbrella? Fo' drizzle ;)

* * *

**Chapter 6**

When Ichigo woke up, it was still dark.

_That's weird..._

His bed was cold; he was cold. He reached down to grab the sheets he had kicked off earlier that night, but they weren't there.

Ichigo wasn't in his bed.

The full moon was shining down on him now, and he recognized his surroundings.

_The Kuchiki Mansion?_

Ichigo looked around cautiously. The back of the old, ominous house had not changed since his childhood. The top-story window was still broken from where Kiego had thrown a rock when they were 7.

But, surely, he was still not supposed to be in the back yard of abandoned house.

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo's stomach twisted nervously and his heart raced in fear of being caught. He stood up slowly and tried not to make a sound as he backed into the extravagant garden and away from the voice.

"What are you doing here?" The voice asked again. This time, it came from behind him and it did not sound pleased.

Fear paralyzed him, and Ichigo remembered the feeling of getting in trouble time and time again as a child, with his best friends: Kiego, Mizuiro, and Chad.

_Maybe if I say I'm sorry now, she won't be mad..._

Ichigo turned to face the voice, but he was surprised by what he saw.

"Rukia?"

Violet eyes peered back at him. She was shorter, of course, but her expression was the exact same as his mother's...

"Why are you here, Ichigo?" She asked. Her tone was gentle now

_Why am I here... _

Ichigo tried to think of an explanation. His mind was still foggy from sleep. There was something he wanted to do, Ichigo remembered.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, before the thought escaped him again. "We broke your window, but I'm really sorry."

Rukia looked at him kindly. She took his hands and started leading him further into the garden.

"Don't worry about that," she said. "I can fix it."

Ichigo smiled, relieved that she wasn't upset.

"Where are we going?" He asked. He couldn't see the house anymore but he wasn't concerned. The flower bushes smelled nice, like his mother.

"Don't worry about that," she repeated.

Ichigo continued following her further into the garden, holding tightly to her soft hands. Her hair was flowing over her shoulders and her pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight.

Then, Ichigo heard a loud growl.

The creature hid among the sweet-scented flowers until the last second.

Rukia turned to face him and opened her mouth to scream. But, in an instant, a giant wolf leapt into the air, casting a shadow over the pair and bathing them in darkness.

There was a sickening crunch as the wolf sunk its teeth into Rukia's soft, white skin and pulled her to the ground. Ichigo's chest filled with terror.

It all made sense now. The boys had only been seven years old when Kiego had thrown that stupid rock at that stupid house. That was the night before they stopped talking, the night before Ichigo thought he had lost everything.

"No!" He cried out. He didn't want to lose Rukia too. He couldn't. He reached out towards the darkness.

And, just like it had appeared, the wolf vanished.

Ichigo scrambled to get to Rukia. She wasn't breathing, and blooding poured out from the puncture wounds across her chest and back.

"Rukia..." Ichigo whispered, cradling her body and head against his chest. Tears pooled in his eyes.

He brushed her hair away from her face and wiped the blood off her cheek. Even in this state, she still looked radiant, Ichigo thought to himself, like the white moon itself.

Rukia's breath stuttered and she gasped like she had been underwater for a long time.

"Rukia?" Ichigo asked.

Pale pink lips curled into a smile and Ichigo found himself smiling back.

Then, a soft laugh emerged from her throat. It grew louder, and Ichigo realized he was no longer soaked with Rukia's blood.

He looked at her hopefully, waiting anxiously for her to open her eyes.

But when her laugh subsided into a whisper of a sigh, and she looked back up at him, Ichigo found himself looking into the blackest, hollow eyes he could ever imagine.

. . .

Ichigo shot up in his bed, gasping for air. His body was covered in a cold sweat and his hands were still shaking.

He held them up to his face and turned them over and over but they were completely clean.

It was just a nightmare.

.

Rukia snipped another bunch of small white flowers and added them to her collection. The sun had just begun its ascent and Rukia admired the way it bathed the flower bushes in its soft glow.

She moved from bush to bush, pruning, taming, and clipping any dead flowers so that the plants could continue to grow. Of course, gardening was not a skill that came naturally to her, but she did her best to maintain her brother's prized garden.

Birds were chirping now and Rukia decided it was time for a break. She bundled the flowers together and set them on the kitchen counter while she filled a vase with water.

_Elisade really did quite a nice job keeping all these little plants alive..._

Rukia arranged the sweet-smelling flowers so that the white ones contrasted nicely with the blues and purples.

The red haired nature lover would never admit to it, of course, but Rukia knew her old acquaintance hadn't been able to let the extravagant garden die of neglect in its owners' absence.

_I might even have to thank her. _Rukia grinned at the novel idea.

She set another canvas up on her easel on the back porch. It was early Friday morning, Rukia remembered. She decided that not showing up for school all week was probably gift enough.

She began sketching lightly, trying to plan out her next work of art. She'd have all day to work on it, and then she'd go into the city to eat and see if Urahara had any news from her brother. A whole week had passed. Byakuya surely would have sent a response by now.

Rukia watched the sun continue its climb and tried to remember the warm sensation of sunshine on her skin. It was certainly a beautiful sight, and Rukia decided today was going to be a good day.

.

Ichigo sat silently through his classes that day. He still had no idea what his dream had meant, and he hadn't seen Rukia since.

He paid more attention to Keigo and Mizuiro in their Chemistry class, but he still didn't say anything. They seemed happy, as always. After growing apart, the pair had quickly made new friends and Ichigo knew they usually hung out with Orihime and her friends now.

Mizuiro gave him a small wave when he noticed Ichigo staring. Ichigo nodded in return before looking away.

_It really wasn't their fault... _Ichigo knew the only reason the boys had distanced themselves was because he had pushed them away.

After his mother died, 7 year-old Ichigo had wanted nothing to do with anyone. Oddly enough, Chad chose that time to start being homeschooled, and Keigo and Mizuiro started calling less and less.

It took a year, but eventually they stopped inviting him to do things completely. They finally got tired of him always refusing. Their group broke up for good, and it wasn't until years later that Chad returned to attend Karakura High and he and Ichigo started hanging out again.

By then. Keigo and Mizuiro had already found other friends. They had made it clear that Ichigo and Chad always had an invitation to join their new group, but the pair had never really taken them up on the offer.

Aside from Chad, Ichigo didn't really have any real friends. Orihime only half-counted, and he was too wary of Renji to consider him a friend like Chad did.

Ichigo stood up as soon as the bell rang to end school for the day. There was only one person he wanted to see and his only lead was that she once went into the city on a Friday night.

He just had to hope that she'd do it again.

.

Rukia arrived at Urahara's just as the sun was setting.

"How are you today?" He asked pleasantly as she followed him into his house.

"Quite well, thank you. Renji is also doing fine. I think he has finally adjusted to my presence," Rukia said as she sat down.

The blonde man smiled. "That's wonderful. It's a shame that we have such bad relations with werewolves, but that's just evolution, I suppose."

"Have you heard anything from Byakuya?" Rukia changed the subject, eager to hear of any news of her brother.

"Of course," Urahara said as if he were offended. "My messengers are the best, you know. I've been holding this letter since Tuesday."

Rukia grinned. "My apologies. I greatly appreciate your help."

"It was no trouble," the old man insisted. He handed her the envelope. "Have you eaten yet? I'd be more than happy to go out and get something. The forest is crawling with deer at this time of year."

"Oh, I couldn't impose." Rukia tucked the letter away. "Thank you for offering but I should really be on my way." She stood and began heading towards the door.

"I always thought you switched over when Byakuya did." Urahara laughed, making Rukia pause in the doorway. "But you don't have to lie to me, Rukia. I don't care if you eat the humans in this city. Most of them deserve it anyway."

Rukia smiled politely. "I'll keep that in mind, but I'm always careful to only pick out ones that hurt others. I haven't harmed an innocent human in a long time."

"There's no such thing, dear." The old man said softly. "When you get to be my age, you'll realize that too. I switched over after losing my family, because I didn't want to make anyone else suffer like I have. I don't care about the humans who lose their lives, only the ones who are left behind."

"I see," Rukia nodded, avoiding the man's eyes so that he could not see her emotions. "I... I'll be going now. Good night."

"Good night, Rukia," Urahara said as she left the house.

The night air chilled her skin as she stepped outside. Rukia was grateful for the pleasant sensation and her fingers found the envelope in her coat pocket.

She wouldn't open it until she got home, but it was a comfort to remember that her brother had never once made her feel guilty about her choices. Byakuya accepted her, regardless of whether she switched to animals or continued eating humans.

Urahara hadn't meant to make her feel bad, of course, but his words still bothered her. She tried to push the old man's words from her mind and focused on finding her next meal.

A loud scream echoed from just a few blocks away and Rukia grinned.

_Humans make this far too easy._

_._

Ichigo found himself wandering the same streets that he had followed just last week.

He had yet to see the violet-eyed girl but it was still relatively early. Last time, they didn't run into each other until around midnight. He just hoped it wouldn't take as long this time.

A shrill scream broke the silence of the empty block, and Ichigo wondered if he had jinxed his luck. He hurried to find the source of the commotion.

A young woman ran past him as he turned a corner. He quickly assumed a ready stance, but no one seemed to be chasing her as she continued fleeing down the street.

"I said, get out of my way!" A man shouted from the other direction. His words slurred together and it was obvious he was drunk from the way he swayed unsteadily.

Ichigo immediately recognized the petite girl the man was yelling at.

_Rukia... How does she always manage to always trouble? _He wondered to himself. It was like the raven-haired girl went around just looking to pick a fight.

The drunk began taking heavy, clumsy steps in the direction that the other woman had run off to. Rukia easily tripped the man, letting him fall over his own feet. He scrambled back up to a standing position and, red-faced with anger and embarrassment, he pulled a gun from his belt.

"Move, you little whore!" He cursed, aiming the gun shakily at Rukia's small figure.

Ichigo quickly started towards the pair, but he was still half a block away when the first shot rang out.

Ichigo felt his heart stop. _No... no no no no no!_

But, much to Ichigo's relief, Rukia remained standing. She looked down at the hole in her jacket, obviously annoyed, and started to walk forward. The man backed up in fear and fired five more rounds into her torso.

Ichigo watched the bullets pierce her skin and come out the other side. Rukia's body convulsed with each bullet that flew through her body, but she continued moving once the barrage ended.

Ichigo stared, open mouthed, as the man's knees gave out weakly beneath him. He cowered on the ground and hid his head under his arms. Rukia circled the trembling man, pausing behind him. She crouched and placed her hands on either side of his head. Then, those delicate, white hands gave a firm yank and twist.

Ichigo heard a loud _pop! _She had broken the man's neck. The lifeless body relaxed back against her chest and she nudged the dangling head to the side.

Rukia slowly leaned forward, her lips parting to reveal bright white teeth.

Her face had almost disappeared completely into the crook of the man's neck when her entire body tensed. Rukia's head snapped up in alarm and her eyes wildly searched the almost empty street.

Her sharp eyes found his in an instant, the same dark, empty eyes that had looked up at him in his dream. Ichigo took a step back in shock, ready to turn and run.

"Ichigo, wait!" Rukia stood up, letting the dead man fall limp at her feet.

"Just... calm down, ok? I swear I can explain."

* * *

Oh boy :) I wonder what's going to happen next!


	7. Chapter 7

Hello lovelies :) Enjoy chapter 7!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Ichigo took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. There's no way this girl was telling him the truth.

"You really expect me to believe that?" he asked.

The violet-eyed girl sitting in the passenger seat nodded. "It's true."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "There is no way that man had narcolepsy!"

Rukia frowned. "You don't know that! He could be dying right now, all because you had to have your little panic attack and make me abandon him in the street!"

"He's already dead, Rukia! I saw you do it, ok? I know he's dead." Ichigo yelled, pointing out the open car window.

"Fine." Rukia crossed her arms. "Maybe he's... a little dead."

Ichigo gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to focus his thoughts. Rukia had been right; it was good that they weren't having this conversation while he was driving.

Though, why the windows had to be open, he had no idea...

_But, back to the midget murderer in my car, _Ichigo reminded himself. _What the hell just happened..._

"He was going to hurt that woman, Ichigo," Rukia spoke calmly. "You have to understand, if I hadn't stopped him, he would've gone after her. He might've even tried to kill her."

"But you..." Ichigo shook his head, trying to make sense of the situation. "He shot you."

"He missed," she said simply, shrugging.

"He missed?" Ichigo asked skeptically, looking pointedly at the holes in her shirt.

Rukia pulled her dark jacket tightly around herself and looked away. "Look, I know this must have been traumatizing for you, but really, everything's fine. You should just go home."

"Everything is not _fine_!" Ichigo snarled. He was tired of this girl's nonchalant and evasive attitude.

"How..." Ichigo tried to find the words for what he was thinking. "What really happened? How did you survive that? You're not even bleeding."

Rukia's lips pursed in irritation. "I told you, he didn't hit me. I guess he tore my shirt when he fell, that's all."

"Like hell he did," Ichigo muttered. "Will you just be honest with me? What... are you?"

Rukia's eyes widened, and for a nanosecond, Ichigo thought he could see panic in her deep purple irises.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ichigo. I just..." Rukia paused to think. "I'm really a secret agent, ok? Your government wanted me to kill that guy because he's actually a mass murderer. And I'm wearing a bulletproof vest so that's why I'm not bleeding."

The car was silent for a long moment. Then, Ichigo reached out and stuck his index finger forward, poking her between two ribs. Her skin was soft and obviously not covered by anything aside from her thin shirt.

"Hey," the girl squealed, swatting him away. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Some secret agent you are," Ichigo said sarcastically. He crossed his arms and looked Rukia in the eye. "Why won't you tell me the truth?"

Rukia let out a long sigh. "You wouldn't believe me anyway. It's best that we just go our separate ways now."

"No way," Ichigo frowned. There was certainly something strange about this girl, he had known that from the start.

_But what?_

She just randomly appears one day, she never shows up for school, she didn't die when she was shot...

"Are you some kind of zombie?" Ichigo asked, almost afraid of the answer.

But Rukia just laughed. "_That's_ really your best guess? I'm actually insulted."

"You're a witch, then? Or some kind of magic healer person?" Ichigo tried next.

"No, not quite," Rukia was still grinning in amusement. "The magic part is on the right track, but I am no healer."

"So you are magical..." Ichigo frowned. "Can you give me another hint?"

Rukia's expression changed and she gave him a sad smile. "No. This has gone on long enough. You're wasting your time. I'm going home."

_No, don't leave... _Ichigo felt his heart sinking. He knew that he knew what was going on. All the signs were pointing at the same thing...

Rukia opened the car door and stepped out. "I can't believe you actually fell for it too! You really thought I had magic powers? You're too gullible, Ichigo."

Just as she slammed the door shut, Ichigo blurted out, "I know you're a vampire!"

Rukia froze. "What makes you say that?" she asked. Each word was carefully pronounced and Ichigo could hear the threatening tone underlying her question.

"Well, I mean... You're always walking around here at night. You're always picking fights and, with that guy out there, after you killed him, it almost looked like you were going to..." Ichigo trailed off, fully realizing just what she had been about to do.

"Going to what?" Rukia asked, looking in through the open window.

"You know," Ichigo shrugged. His fingers brushed his neck subconsciously. "Drink his blood."

"Drink his blood?" She reiterated.

Ichigo nodded and Rukia stood up. She turned away from the car for a moment and put her hands on her hips.

"Let's just say that you're right, for curiosity's sake." Rukia was looking at him again. "What would you do?"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, suddenly feeling very much like a mouse cornered in his own car.

"Well, you've just discovered a vampire. Very few people even realize that creatures like us exist. Even fewer are able to say that they've actually found one out and survived the encounter." Rukia was still watching him carefully.

Ichigo swallowed, trying to appear calm. "I... I'd probably ask why you bother going to school. And then I'd remind you that the guy on the other street's already dead. Much less of a hassle, if you're hungry."

Rukia's eyes lit up in amusement. "Oh, you would hardly be a hassle."

Ichigo struggled to find an appropriate response.

"I enrolled in your school because I attended Karakura High School while I lived there. It's also helpful to keep tabs on some people," Rukia added.

"You used to live in Karakura?" Ichigo found it hard to believe that no one had memory of this strange girl.

"When I was ...younger." Rukia nodded.

"I don't remember ever seeing you," Ichigo said.

Rukia grinned again, making his stomach feel uneasy. "Vampires do live a long time, you know. I'm probably 10 times your age, at least."

"So, you admit it, then?" Ichigo asked, feeling bolder. "You're saying that you are really a vampire."

"I didn't say that." Rukia's eyes narrowed. "You should be careful, Ichigo Kurosaki. If you'll remember, I did say that very few people survive encounters like this."

"I'm not going to tell anyone, Rukia, really," Ichigo responded earnestly.

There was another long pause. The dark haired girl's expression was pained and she looked conflicted. Finally, she stood abruptly and turned away.

"Go home, Ichigo. I hope for your sake that you keep your word." Rukia's tone was harsh but she didn't say anything else as she walked away.

Ichigo stared after her, trying to restart his still heart as watched her disappear into shadows.

.

_Dear Rukia,_

_Though I am sure he will inform himself, please give Urahara my regards. _

_Also, please remember, all that is mine, is yours as well, including our home in Karakura. This is the promise I made to you and your sister. There is no need to thank me._

_I am glad to hear that you have had no trouble. Do keep in mind, however, when you eat, that even the slightest mistake is likely to be noticed in such a large city. Urahara has many years of experience and could be very useful to you._

_And, now that I've written it, I expect he will offer assistance whether you ask or not._

_I will do my best to join you shortly, but it may be another few weeks. There are more packs out here than even I realized._

_All my love,_

_Byakuya_

Rukia crumpled the note in her hand. Tears brimmed her eyes and she cursed herself for not accepting the old man's dinner invitation.

_I should've read this as soon as I left Urahara's..._

Rukia stuffed the wrinkled piece of paper in her desk and went to change into an outfit that wasn't riddled with holes.

If she was too soft-hearted to kill the meddlesome boy, she couldn't let him out of her sight until she was sure he would stay true to his promise.

_Probably 20 minutes until he arrives home, _Rukia reasoned, _assuming he left soon after I did._

That would be more than enough time for her to find the Kurosaki residence and settle in for the night.

.

When Ichigo arrived at school on Monday morning, he was a wreck.

All weekend, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that someone was following him, watching over his shoulder constantly. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep since Friday night, and it was really setting him on edge.

"You ok?" Chad asked him at lunch.

"I didn't sleep well," Ichigo said, shrugging.

"Uh huh..." Chad made a noise in response but it was clear he had become distracted.

Ichigo followed his friend's gaze to the far end of the cafeteria.

There was Rukia, sitting alone at the table she usually occupied with Karin and Yuzu. And her eyes were fixated on Ichigo. His heart began racing nervously.

"I thought she had lunch with the other freshmen..." Ichigo trailed off, hoping for an explanation from Chad.

The older boy shrugged. "Maybe something happened." His tone was light but his eyes were staring furiously at the petite girl.

Ichigo was about to ask why Chad looked so upset, but before he could, Orihime had gotten up from her seat.

The redhead picked up her lunch and joined Rukia at her isolated table, drawing a decent amount of attention from other students in the cafeteria. The pair seemed be having an intense conversation, but it was cut short by the bell ending lunch.

Ichigo wanted to know what they had talked about; he hadn't realized Orihime even knew Rukia, but he decided questioning Orihime about it would be a bad idea. And the alternative would be even worse.

.

"May I ask why you're staring down that boy over there?" Elisade asked curtly, taking a seat across from Rukia.

"I was just chatting with his friend," Rukia shrugged innocently. "It seems he doesn't like my being here either."

The redhead's eyes narrowed. "Of course he doesn't," she hissed. "You've been keeping Renji from coming to school, and now you're following his best friend. What's he supposed to think?"

"I have not been keeping that mutt from anything. If he can't control himself, that's his problem," Rukia snapped. "Besides, I was merely looking. I have to wonder why you're so protective of him, though. Perhaps some personal feelings?"

"I am looking out for the well-being of all the humans in Karakura. This just seems to be the only one in danger at the moment." Elisade frowned.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "He's not in any danger. If anything, he's safer with the three of us watching him right now."

"That's not how I see it. You're causing a scene, Rukia, and you're making him uneasy. I'm going to have to ask you to leave now. I don't want to draw any more unnecessary attention."

Rukia evaluated the girl sitting across from her. "Fine. I'm going. You should be prepared though, because pretty soon he's going to be coming to me and I can't think of anything short of harming him that will change his mind."

As if on cue, the lunch bell rang and Rukia stood up. Elisade eyed her evenly, "I can think of a few things that might discourage him."

Rukia grinned, pleased by the fact that she knew something her old acquaintance didn't. "Oh, you'd be surprised."

.

The rest of the school day dragged by and finally Ichigo decided just to skip his last class and leave early.

He took the long way home, walking down by the river to try to calm his nerves. But still, he couldn't shake his anxious feeling.

He paused, looking at the cool water rushing along, and then up at the road. Finally, he turned around completely and found bright violet eyes watching him curiously.

"Why are you following me?" Ichigo asked, exasperated.

Rukia grinned. "I'm surprised you noticed. You're quite sensitive to non-humans, aren't you?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "You mean vampires? I wouldn't exactly know; you're the first one I've met."

"No," Rukia shook her head. "I meant all non-humans."

She had joined him on the walking path and Ichigo crossed his arms. "There are other... things like you?"

Rukia chuckled. "I suppose you could say that. Vampires and humans are only two species out of four."

"What are the other two?" Ichigo asked, wondering if he really wanted to know.

"Elves and werewolves," she said, as if it were obvious.

"Werewolves?" Ichigo frowned.

"And elves," Rukia nodded.

"I see..." He said, becoming thoughtful.

_Could that be... It had to have been..._

"Do you think you might know of one?" the petite girl asked, almost hopefully.

"No." Ichigo shook his head quickly. "I... met one, once. But I never saw it again."

Rukia raised an eyebrow curiously, but she didn't say anything about his comment.

"You never said why you were following me." Ichigo reminded her.

"I couldn't let you talk to anyone about our conversation, now could I?" Rukia shrugged

"You would've killed me?" Ichigo asked.

"You, and everyone you told," she confirmed.

"Well, I didn't." Ichigo crossed his arms. "Your secret is safe."

Rukia smiled. "I know. You're still alive."

Ichigo almost chuckled at this tiny girl's confidence. "So what now?"

"What do you mean?" She looked up at him curiously.

"I mean, now that you know you can trust me. What happens now?" Ichigo wondered.

Rukia still looked puzzled. "Well... I will go back to the city to eat at some point, since I was so rudely interrupted on Friday."

"How often do you have to... eat?" He asked.

"I try to eat once a week to avoid temptation. These past few days have been... trying, but I am in no danger of losing control."

Ichigo nodded. "Why didn't you go back sooner?"

"I already told you, I've been watching you since our conversation," Rukia said, grinning again.

"All weekend?" Ichigo was incredulous. "Constantly?"

_Well, that explains why I felt so weird..._

"Every moment of every day," Rukia answered.

Something in her tone made Ichigo blush. "You're crazy. Haven't you ever heard of privacy?"

"You didn't seem to mind. Besides, it wasn't exactly a picnic for me either." Rukia raised an eyebrow suggestively. "You really should cover up more when you sleep. It's rather chilly at night and you could catch a cold."

Ichigo felt his face turn red and briefly wondered if this was how vampires went about flirting. "So, are you just going to keep following me around forever?"

Rukia looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "I'd rather not. But if I can't trust you, then I will. Forever won't be very long if I kill you."

Ichigo swallowed nervously at her frankness. "How about you ease up on the stalking, and we agree on prearranged times and locations to meet up? Preferably when I'm not sleeping," he added drily.

"I will continue the stalking as long as I see fit," Rukia said simply. "But why do you want to meet?"

"I want to know more," Ichigo shrugged, trying not to blush again. "About you and the werewolves and the elves. I'm not going to tell anyone. I just want to know."

Rukia looked away briefly before sighing. "Oh, fine. I've already told you too much anyway."

Ichigo grinned. "Great. I'll pick you up at 5 tomorrow?"

"I... I guess that'd be all right." Rukia said.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Ichigo said. "And no following me home, ok? It really weirds me out when I can't tell if you're actually there or not."

Rukia frowned but nodded. "Fine. But I'll still know if you say anything, so be careful. I'll see you tomorrow at 5."

Ichigo waved good-bye and watched her turn and walk off in the opposite direction.

Finally, something exciting was happening. This girl, this vampire, was incredible, and maybe she'd be able to tell him something about what happened to his mother so many years ago.

Ichigo felt himself grinning like an idiot before another thought occurred to him.

_Where the hell do you take a vampire on a date?_

* * *

Aw :) They're so cute


	8. Chapter 8

Happy weekend!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Rukia split her day between painting on the back porch, and walking around town, specifically passing by Karakura High multiple times.

She noted that Renji had decided to attend school that day, and that Elisade seemed much more relaxed without Rukia hanging around.

_If she only knew what I'm doing later..._ Rukia almost laughed at the mental image of the redhead's face.

Finally, 5 o'clock rolled around. She waited patiently on the expansive front porch of her house and wondered if she was really doing the right thing.

Elisade would probably accuse her of being selfish, for risking the boy's safety for her own pleasure. Byakuya would be upset that she had gotten so involved with a human. He'd want her to kill him.

And Urahara would probably applaud her for being so audacious.

Rukia smiled when Ichigo slowed to a stop in front of the house and decided she'd listen to the crazy old man.

"So, where are we going?" She asked once she had climbed into the passenger's seat.

_Window down, seat belt on... _

"Well, I wasn't really sure what you'd want to do... I figured dinner's out of the question." Ichigo said, shrugging.

It took Rukia a minute to realize that he was making a joke. "I mean, if you're offering..."

Ichigo's eyes widened just a fraction, and Rukia laughed. "We can do whatever you'd like. If you are hungry, we can go to a restaurant. I'm just here to answer your questions."

"I already ate." Ichigo said, slightly embarrassed by his reaction. "I was wondering if I could show you something. It's just outside the other side of town."

Rukia shrugged. "It's up to you."

Ichigo nodded, shifting the car into gear, and they made their way across town.

.

_So far, so good... _Ichigo thought to himself. She had only mentioned killing him once, and he was pretty sure that had been a joke.

He stole a discrete glance at the petite girl sitting next to him. She looked so peaceful, gazing out the window, her dark hair whipping around her face.

He wondered why she liked having the window open so much. "Do you really have magic powers?"

That got Rukia's attention, and she looked at him strangely.

"I mean, like in the movies and stuff, vampires are always really strong and fast and everything..." Ichigo trailed off.

_Maybe not the best conversation starter..._

But Rukia just smiled. Ichigo was getting used to this girl always looking at him like he was a source of endless amusement.

"We are stronger and faster than humans, yes." Rukia nodded. "And most vampires have... other skills as well. Those are usually passed down when you're bitten."

Ichigo tried to look like he understood. "What kind of skills?"

"Well," Rukia thought for a moment. "My brother and I can manipulate shadows. And a friend can see through solid objects, or magnify objects so that he can see them clearly."

"How can you controlshadows?" Ichigo frowned.

"It's just like it sounds," Rukia shrugged. "I can make areas more shaded, I can blind people, or make them see things. Not like actual objects, but a shadow of an object."

"So...," Ichigo tried to process her words. "You could make this car completely dark?"

"Yes," Rukia nodded. "It's harder in the daylight, but it's possible."

"Can you make me see something?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia smiled at the question. "It's too dangerous while you're driving. Another time."

"Right," Ichigo agreed. He had let his curiosity get the better of him. "Do werewolves and elves have powers too, then?"

"They're not as individualized as ours, but yes," Rukia said. "Elves can control nature, to an extent, and werewolves are even stronger than vampires. They can communicate telepathically as well, but only other wolves can respond."

Ichigo nodded. "So, a werewolf could talk to me, but I couldn't answer?"

"Exactly." Rukia confirmed. "Except a werewolf would never speak with you telepathically, because you are a human."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Right."

He pulled the car over to the side of the road. They were outside Karakura now, on a dirt road.

"This is it." Ichigo said, getting out of the car.

Rukia followed him out of the and through a thin line of trees. They emerged into a large field, overlooking Karakura.

"You're awfully brave," Rukia looked up at him with a glint her eyes. "Secluding yourself with a vampire like this."

Ichigo shrugged, determined not to let himself be intimidated anymore. "I think I'll be all right. My car's just over there if anything happens."

Rukia laughed. "Like that would help you," she commented lightly.

She let the matter drop quickly though, more interested in what was going on than teasing him. "Why are we here?"

"My mother used to bring me and my sisters out here for picnics on weekends when my dad had to work," Ichigo told her.

"I see," Rukia frowned.

Ichigo knew she must have other questions, but he wasn't quite ready for them yet.

"Are there a lot of vampires in the world?" He asked, trying to distract her.

Rukia shrugged. "There are more elves than vampires, and werewolves are the smallest population because they die all the time."

"Why are there so many elves?" Ichigo wondered aloud.

"Well, they're the most peaceful species because they don't have to compete for food. And even though their blood tastes the best, they don't have very much, so it's usually more hassle than it's worth to kill them just to eat them."

"And why do werewolves die so frequently?" Ichigo frowned.

Rukia chuckled. "It's kind of sad, I suppose I shouldn't laugh. But wolves have the hardest time changing from being human to being a human-animal hybrid, because they usually choose to stay among humans. They need blood, though, like vampires do. Their lives are shorter than elves' and vampires', and they seem to be the species most inclined to get into fights."

"That must be hard," Ichigo commented.

Rukia shrugged. "Werewolves and vampires don't exactly get along. For some reason they have it in their heads that we're some sort of threat."

"You guys kind of are in competition though, aren't you?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia sighed. "Maybe technically. There's more than enough food to go around, though. I think it's because they still feel loyal to humans, and they take it personally when we feed on them."

"I can understand that," Ichigo nodded.

"Of course you can, Human." Rukia rolled her eyes. "You're lucky that the wolves around here only eat animals."

"Really?" Ichigo asked, surprised. "How do you know?"

"Because..." Rukia paused to think of the best way to explain the answer. "Elves are the only creatures, aside from humans, that don't need blood to survive, right? And since they're all nature freaks, they think it's their mission in life to protect humans."

She glanced at him to make sure he was following.

"The elf living in Karakura would never allow them to harm a human, so they eat animals from the forest."

Ichigo frowned. "You're saying there's an elf, _and _werewolves living in Karakura."

Rukia nodded. "Yep. Your town's kind of unusual for having so many creatures, but I guess you all just got lucky."

Ichigo sat quietly for a moment._ So there have been werewolves around here..._

"Is it... possible that a werewolf could kill someone around here? Maybe if the elf didn't know?"

Rukia looked at him before answering. "We can sense each other. When a wolf changes, within miles of here, I can tell. Eli- the elf would know if anything happened."

"What if the elf wasn't around?" Ichigo tried again.

"...I don't know what you're asking, Ichigo." Rukia said, watching him carefully.

Ichigo sighed. "My mother died 11 years ago. Right here. I think it was a werewolf."

Rukia frowned. "Why do you think that?"

"It was huge," Ichigo explained. "And it was so fast. It just appeared, attacked my mom, and ran off with her."

Rukia looked out over the town thoughtfully. "I don't know, Ichigo. I don't think either werewolf is that old, and the elf has been here for over 100 years."

"Can't you... tell somehow?" Ichigo gestured to the field around him. "I thought you said you could sense things like that. Can't you tell if a werewolf has been here?"

Rukia looked at him sadly. "It's been a long time, Ichigo. I can't even smell the blood anymore."

Ichigo frowned. He refused to accept her answer. "You think I'm crazy then?"

The dark haired girl sighed impatiently. "I didn't say that. I just think it's unlikely."

"But... Why else would it just go for her?" Ichigo asked. "It didn't even look at me or my sisters."

Rukia looked at him sympathetically. "I don't know, Ichigo. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he said, trying to sound indifferent. _But I really thought..._

"Ready to go?" Ichigo finally asked after a long look around the field.

"Sure," Rukia followed him back to his car.

The girl was silent on the way home, staring absently out the window as Ichigo drove. He felt guilty for ruining their date. He shouldn't have gotten upset; his mother's death had been so long ago. It really shouldn't matter anymore.

"Thanks for coming," he said once they were in front of her house. "I... enjoyed talking," he added lamely.

"Me too. " Rukia gave him a small smile. "I'll see you later, Ichigo."

He watched her petite frame gracefully walk to up the stairs to her front porch, and desperately hoped he hadn't ruined any chance he might have had with her.

.

Rukia closed the door behind her and waited for Ichigo to drive away. Once his car was far enough down the street, she left again.

Everything Ichigo had said sounded exactly like a werewolf. The picnic site had been outside town limits but Rukia couldn't imagine Elisade just ignoring an innocent family like that.

Jinta would have been too young to successfully evade her and actually attack a woman. Rukia tried to remember when the older wolf had changed... He would've been incredibly young as well.

_Still,_ Rukia decided, _it's worth asking._

She was furious that this had somehow happened to Ichigo, and she knew that confronting the apparently useless elf would only make her wonder why Rukia was so interested. So, she'd go to the only other person who might have answers.

The sun was beginning to set, but Rukia continued towards a small house on the edge of town.

.

"What are you doing here?" A deep voice asked, intercepting Rukia two blocks from her destination.

She smiled. "You're getting better. I'm impressed."

The large figure in front of her did not move, and he didn't seem like he was going to say anything in response.

Rukia sighed. "I just have some questions. That's all."

The boy raised an eyebrow and Rukia realized he wanted her to ask her questions right there, in the street.

"Do you think we could go inside?" She asked, trying to maintain a polite tone.

"We can sit on the porch," he finally said.

They walked in silence to the end of the road and the boy offered her a chair once they reached the house.

Rukia took the seat and realized why this creature had been so defensive about his home.

"I thought you lived alone," she commented.

The boy frowned. "I was raised by my abuelo. He is asleep now."

Rukia put her hands up innocently. "I have no interest in meeting him. He must be quite a man to have taken care of you while you were... going through that phase."

"Orihime knows everything. She said it's fine that he knows about us," he insisted.

"That's not why I'm here," Rukia said calmly. "My name is Rukia Kuchiki. I'm afraid I never introduced myself properly."

"Chad," the boy said simply.

"Right, Chad," Rukia held her smile, and reminded herself to use Elisade's human name. "I assume Orihime told you about me?"

"She said you used to live here, but you left with two other vampires when you changed. She's letting you stay because you have an agreement with her," he said.

"More or less," Rukia nodded. She noticed the redhead had skimped on a few details, but they weren't important at the moment.

"I was wondering about how you changed. I know it was a long time ago, but I'd like to hear the story." Rukia tried her best to sound innocently curious.

Chad looked at her suspiciously, but didn't hesitate in recalling the event. "I was 8 years old. I had been wandering around in the forest, waiting for my abuelo to get home, when I heard the wolf approaching. It looked surprised to see me, and attacked. I was very big, even then, and when I started fighting back, it gave up quickly and continued moving. But I had already been bitten."

"Do you know where it went?" Rukia asked.

Pain was apparent on the tan boy's face. "I didn't find out that it had killed Ichigo's mom until later. I regret not killing the wolf before it got away, but I was too scared."

"You were only a child. There's nothing you could've done," Rukia tried to console him. "But you're sure it was the same werewolf that killed Ichigo's mother?"

Chad nodded. "Orihime said she found the body later. But the wolf was too far away for her to catch up. It took me two years, but I finally killed it near Tokyo."

Rukia's eyebrows rose. That was an impressive feat for such a young wolf. "You must be incredibly strong," she remarked. "But why didn't Orihime stop the wolf before it entered Karakura?"

"She was on a trip somewhere. I don't know where she went, but she's never left this town since." Chad's dark eyes met hers. "She feels really guilty about it, even though it wasn't her fault."

_That's debatable... _Rukia thought to herself. "So Ichigo thinks it was just a normal wolf?"

"Probably," Chad said uncertainly. "He doesn't like talking about it much. And I didn't have much contact with him after it happened."

"How did you do it?" Rukia wondered out loud. "Managing school and everything?"

"When my abuelo found out what happened, he took me out of school. He home-schooled me until he decided that I could control myself," Chad explained.

"I see," Rukia said, trying to remember if she ever had such caring family members when she was human.

"Well, I appreciate your agreeing to talk," she finally spoke again. "I'm sorry we didn't exactly start out on the right foot."

"I'm sorry that Renji confronted you earlier. It won't happen again," Chad replied.

"Does my presence bother you as well?" Rukia questioned.

"I don't mind. Orihime asked us to leave you alone." Chad shrugged, as if it were simple. "Renji just has a lot more anger."

"So I've noticed," Rukia said lightly, almost smiling.

"It's easier now that you've been staying away from him. Thank you," the large boy added.

"I'm not here to cause problems. I just wanted to visit my old home." Rukia stood up. "Well, I'll be going then. I'm sure I'll see you around."

"Good night," Chad stood up as well as Rukia stepped down from the porch.

She could feel his eyes on her as she walked down the street, but he eventually disappeared back into the house. Rukia smiled as she looked up at the sky, pleased to be on better terms with the quiet boy.

He was only interested in protecting the people he cared about. Rukia definitely understood that.

And, he had just confirmed Ichigo's theory. Rukia couldn't wait to tell him that he had been right, after all.

_If only humans didn't have to sleep all night..._

* * *

Review? :)


	9. Chapter 9

I dunno, guys. This one started to feel kind of weird. On another note, I really like the next chapter. So that kind of balances it out.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Ichigo groaned at the sound of his alarm clock going off.

He took a deep breath to prepare himself and pushed the warm covers off his body. The morning air was crisp against his skin and Ichigo sat up, rubbing his face sleepily.

He stood up, stretched, and walked to his closet. His hand had just grabbed a plain black t-shirt when something clicked in his brain.

_What the- _"What the hell are doing in my room!" Ichigo sputtered, not bothering to filter his thoughts.

Rukia smiled widely back at him. "Took you long enough," she teased. "Not much of a morning person, are you?"

Ichigo struggled to find the words to voice the slow realization his brain was shifting through.

_Rukia, the vampire, is sitting at my desk. It's possible that she has been there all night. And I am wearing... Shit, what I am wearing?_

Ichigo blushed furiously, immensely grateful his last-minute decision to at least wear boxers to sleep that night. He quickly pulled on the shirt that he had been holding stupidly in his hands when he noticed Rukia looking him over approvingly.

"I told you it was chilly outside," she said, still snickering quietly to herself.

Ichigo decided against using a few choice words, settling instead for, "I thought you said you weren't going to follow me around anymore."

"I didn't follow you anywhere," Rukia said defensively. "I wanted to talk to you."

Ichigo yawned. "Can't it wait? I have to get ready for school."

Rukia rolled her eyes. "I think you'll want to hear this, Ichigo."

"Ichigo?" A deep voice called from outside his bedroom door. "Are you talking to yourself again?"

Ichigo flushed again. "I do not talk to myself!"

"You have a girl over then!" The voice sounded excited. "But it's a school day! Ichigo, my son, surely you can wait until the weekend to create my future grandchildren?"

"I don't have anyone over, Dad!" Ichigo yelled back. "Just go away!"

Finally, heavy steps walked away from the door and Ichigo sighed. Rukia was happily watching the exchange from his desk. "Is that your father?"

"Unfortunately," Ichigo grumbled. "Look, you have to go. Someone's going to hear you."

Rukia protested, "But, Ichigo-"

"You can tell me at school, ok? I'll see you then." Ichigo insisted, escorting the petite girl back to the open window.

"I'll find you _after_ school," Rukia said, obviously annoyed.

"Did you really climb up here?" He asked in disbelief, watching her effortlessly climb back through the window.

"It's not that hard," Rukia said. She perched on the windowsill and paused, looking up at Ichigo.

Her face was closer to his than Ichigo had realized. He felt his heart race as she reached up, her hand lightly brushing his chest.

"You should probably fix this," Rukia whispered, tucking his shirt tag into the front of his backwards and inside-out shirt.

Then, she jumped to the ground, without making a sound. She glanced up at him one last time before walking down the sidewalk in the opposite direction of Karakura High.

Ichigo focused on calming his warm face and forgetting the feeling of Rukia's touch. He yanked the offending shirt off and straightened it out before putting on a pair of jeans and going downstairs.

.

The school day could not have passed any slower for Rukia.

She found herself just a block away when the last bell rang. After a few more minutes, Ichigo appeared around the corner. He didn't seem surprised to see her.

"How long have you been waiting here?" He asked.

"I was just walking," she said, trying to hide the fact that she had been standing in the same spot for at least 20 minutes. "Will you listen now?"

The carrot top nodded.

"All right," Rukia started, eager to share the news, "I checked with someone last night, after you dropped me off, and it turns out that you were right. It was a werewolf that attacked your mother."

Ichigo looked at her in surprise. "You mean it? You really found out for sure?"

"Mhmm," she nodded. "I'd offer to track the wolf down for you, but it's already dead."

Ichigo didn't acknowledge her statement right away, lost in his own thoughts. Finally, he gave her a small smile.

"That's... I really appreciate you doing that, Rukia," he said slowly. "It helps, just knowing what really happened."

Rukia returned his smile. "I'm happy to help."

He glanced at her again, before looking away shyly. "You want to walk with me? I still feel bad about yesterday. We could go downtown or something."

Rukia's heart fluttered unnaturally in her chest, but she suppressed it. There was nothing wrong with spending time with a new friend.

The fact that he was human, and incredibly attractive had nothing to do with it, she told herself.

"Sure."

.

"So, your brother is actually going to come here?" Ichigo asked as they walked down the street. They had stopped by his house so he could drop off his things, and now they were strolling along a line of shops.

Rukia had just finished telling him about her brother, between short comments about how the street had looked years ago, when she was a child.

"That used to be a restaurant. They had really good ice cream." The dark haired girl pointed across the street before grinning at him. "Byakuya said he'd try to visit soon, but with him that probably means I won't see him for another month, at least."

Ichigo thought about the siblings' situation for a moment. His own family drove him nuts sometimes, but he couldn't imagine not seeing them for months at a time.

"I guess it'd be hard for vampires to have a normal family," he commented.

Rukia shrugged. "It was difficult without my parents at first, but I guess I kind of forgot about them after the first hundred years."

Ichigo chuckled quietly, unsure if she was making a joke, or simply stating a fact.

"Why do you drink human blood if your brother only kills animals?" He asked, trying to shift the topic.

Rukia sighed and Ichigo realized that question must be difficult as well.

"My brother... has never forgiven himself for certain actions in his past. He's always regretted that I became a vampire, and I think he stopped eating humans as a way to relieve his guilt." She paused before starting again, "I've never felt that guilt, because he always took care of me. I only kill criminals, and it feels like I'm actually doing something to help people."

"You do help people," Ichigo insisted. "You saved that woman's life last Friday, and you found out how my mother died."

Rukia shrugged. "I guess."

Ichigo realized that the issue was more complicated than he could even begin to understand. Fortunately, he was relieved of the responsibility of continuing the conversation when a familiar face stepped out of the grocery store in front of them.

"Ichigo! What a pleasant surprise!" Orihime exclaimed.

"Hey," he greeted her. "You know Rukia, right?"

He realized it was loaded question; he remembered all too well their intense conversation at lunch, but he hoped that she would reveal what they had been talking about.

The redhead continued smiling and took Rukia's hand warmly. "Rukia Kuchiki, right?"

Rukia drew her hand back, barely hiding her disgust. "Elisade, please," she said shortly.

Ichigo frowned, and Orihime's eyebrows furrowed into the angriest expression he'd ever seen on her face.

"You must be mistaken. No one calls me by that old nickname anymore. Please, just call me Orihime now," the taller girl's voice was sweet as ever.

Rukia just rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."

"I didn't realize you two were so close," Orihime commented, the underlying question apparent in her tone.

"We met a few days ago," Ichigo tried to explain without explaining too much.

"But there's nothing for you to worry about," Rukia added, wrapping her arm around Ichigo's and winking. "We're just friends; I'm not trying to invade your territory. He's all yours."

Ichigo glared at his short companion, and Orihime giggled awkwardly.

"Well, that's good to know, but I assure you Ichigo and I are just friends as well," the redhead said through a tight smile.

"I'll keep that in mind," Rukia said, still clinging to Ichigo's arm teasingly.

"It was nice seeing you, Orihime. Have a good night," Ichigo said quickly, eager to end the silent discussion the two were clearly having right in front of him.

"Good bye, Ichigo! Tell Yuzu and Karin 'Hello' for me," Orihime chirped. She reluctantly let them pass and Rukia gave a taunting wave as they walked by.

"What the hell was that?" Ichigo hissed once they were farther away.

Rukia glanced over her shoulder, before putting a finger to her lips. They had walked another two blocks in silence, when she finally broke out into laughter.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ichigo," she said between short giggle fits. "I just didn't want her listening in on what I'm about to tell you."

Ichigo frowned. _Is this something I really want to know?_

Rukia looked up at him, dark eyes glinting humorously. "Elisade, your Orihime, is an elf."

"You're joking," he stopped, mouth hanging open.

"Nope!" The petite girl shook her head. "She's furious that I'm spending so much time with you. She's worried that I'm going to tell you all our secrets, which I already have, but she doesn't know that."

"Wait," Ichigo needed time to let his mind catch up. "How do you know she doesn't know?"

"Because I told her," Rukia said, as if it were obvious. "I said I wasn't 'invading her territory,'

meaning I wasn't doing anything wrong."

_So they were talking over my head..._

"Why do you call her Elisade?" Ichigo asked next.

Rukia took a deep breath, like she had started doing every time he asked a question that required a lengthy explanation. "Elves live long lives. Not as long as vampires, but pretty long. And they also have the ability to change their appearance."

She paused again, like she was having trouble articulating her thoughts.

"I guess a better way to put it would be that, they can only look like themselves, but at any age. Elisade is about 200 years old, but she can appear just the same as she did when she was an infant, or how she looks as an old woman. This way, elves can live among humans, pretend to grow old, and then pretend to die, and start a new life by changing so they look young again."

"So... Orihime has lived in Karakura for 200 years? And no one noticed that she looks exactly the same every time she... starts a new life?" Ichigo asked skeptically.

"Sort of," Rukia supplied. "Elisade didn't come to Karakura until she had fully grown into her powers. And as long as she stays out of pictures, and 'outlives' the people who were close to her during that lifespan, she can go pretty much undetected."

"But why do you call her Elisade?" Ichigo repeated his question.

"Elisade is her elven name. She'll keep that one for her whole life. And then she picks another name to use with humans every time she starts a new human life. For some reason, she thought 'Orihime' would be a good choice this time around."

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. This was giving him a headache. He couldn't believe how much Orihime, bright, bubbly, Orihime with no secrets, had been keeping from him.

_And then,_ he realized, _that means..._

"You said elves are supposed to protect humans?" Ichigo looked at Rukia for approval.

When she nodded, he continued, "And Orihime has been in Karakura for ...a really long time, right?"

"I don't know what you're getting at," Rukia said, frowning.

"Well, if Orihime was supposed to be protecting everyone in Karakura, why didn't she stop the werewolf that killed my mom?" Ichigo asked, his voice rising.

Rukia realized her mistake immediately. "It's not that simple, Ichigo. She wasn't there when it happened, she was traveling and-"

"Why would she leave the town she's watching over?" His anger was about to explode. "And why didn't she come back when she sensed the werewolf? You said elves have powers; she could've save my mother's life!"

Rukia looked up at him with deeply sad eyes. "Ichigo..."

"Don't try to make excuses for her!" He fumed. It all made sense now.

_That's the reason she's so nice to me and Yuzu and Karin... Not because she likes me, but because she feels guilty._

"You expect too much of us," Rukia said sharply, grabbing his upper arms tightly to get his attention. "Everyone makes mistakes. Even with our powers, we can't do everything. Accidents happen."

But Ichigo wouldn't accept that. He could never forgive Orihime for her carelessness. And he couldn't understand why Rukia was suddenly so quick to defend the air-headed girl.

"My mother might still be alive," Ichigo whispered, mostly to himself.

"Stop it, Ichigo. I know it's hard on you." Rukia shook her head. "Really, I understand what it's like to lose someone you care about because of another person you care about, but you have to try to understand. You'll never feel better until you forgive her."

"I won't forgive her," Ichigo decided. "I can't."

Rukia stepped back, taking her hands away. "You're making a mistake."

"I don't think I am," Ichigo said. "What were you saying about losing people you care about? Do you mean your parents?"

Rukia didn't meet his eyes, but she nodded 'yes.'

"Did Byakuya kill your parents?" Ichigo asked, prepared to be horrified by this petite girl's history.

"No," Rukia said emphatically. "Byakuya has always taken care of me. I already told you that."

"Then who-"

"I don't want to talk about it," she cut him off. "Don't blame Orihime, ok? I know it'll take time, but it'll break her heart if she finds out that you know. I don't like her, but it's not fair to put her through that pain."

Ichigo frowned. "I'm not going to confront her. I said I wouldn't tell anyone what you tell me, remember?"

Rukia managed a small smile and it made Ichigo feel slightly better. "I do. Thank you."

"So, what was this store when you were a kid?" He asked, pointing to the hair salon behind them, knowing she'd be pleased by a question with a simple answer.

"Well." She looked thoughtful. "I think it was a toy store. My parents used to bring me here sometimes, and when I was 8, they bought me a doll."

"And this one?" He asked as they passed the next one.

Rukia smiled. "It was a food store. I'm afraid it wasn't very good though."

Ichigo found himself smiling back. They continued their innocent conversation until they had reached the end of the street at the edge of town. The sun was setting, and Rukia insisted that they turn back so she could return him home before it got dark.

That night, he had the same dream as before. But this time, it was Orihime who attacked and killed Rukia.

And when the stunning, glowing girl opened her eyes, they were still a deep purple. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him ardently, as if she had never been happier to wake up alive.

* * *

So a dyslexic man walks into a bra...  
I'll be here all week ;)


	10. Chapter 10

I'm such a sap :) But here you go. This should address a couple things you guys have been wondering about

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_Dear Brother,_

_Urahara has been most helpful during my time here and sends warm wishes. _

_I have been careful during my time in the city. I am almost certain that no one has witnessed my eating._

_I understand the importance of your work, but I do hope you will come to Karakura when you have a chance. Your garden is in full bloom, and I would hate for you to miss its beauty._

_Forever Yours,_

_Rukia_

Rukia folded the letter and sealed it in an envelope. She'd be going into the city again tonight and she wanted an excuse to visit Urahara again.

Technically, she hadn't lied. She had made a genuine effort to be careful; that effort just hadn't been quite enough. And, as far as she knew, no one had seen her eating in the city. Ichigo had caught her just before she had a chance to sink her teeth into that man's neck.

She certainly did hope her brother would visit soon but, now that she had written it, she wondered if it was a good idea.

_After all, when Byakuya does finally make it over here, I won't be able to see Ichigo anymore..._

Rukia pushed the thought away. That was a problem to be dealt with when it arose, not worried and fretted about before then.

She had seen Ichigo every day since they had run into Elisade, but he hadn't seen her. She had sensed him walking by her house the day before, but it seemed that he hadn't mustered the courage to knock on the door because he continued walking a few moments later.

Rukia had wondered if he would come by again today. She hoped he wouldn't, because it was Friday, and seeing him always made her question whether or not she really wanted to kill another human for her meal.

She hung up her latest painting, a shadowy scene with a cherry blossom tree blooming with bright white and pink flowers off to the side. She knew it was something Byakuya would be pleased by, so she hung it by his favorite chair in the sitting room before leaving for the night.

.

Ichigo sat in his room, on his bed, bored out of his mind.

He hadn't seen Rukia for days now. It was almost embarrassing how often he thought of her, wondering what she was doing when they weren't together, wondering if she still followed him every now and then.

He got a weird feeling sometimes, usually when he was walking around outside, that made him uneasy in the same way that he felt the weekend Rukia was spying on him. He tried not to admit it to himself, but he kind of liked the feeling now, hoping that it really was her watching him.

Ichigo sighed. He had gone by her house yesterday, but the ominous old mansion still creeped him out too much. Besides, he didn't want to come on too strong. The last thing he wanted was to scare the petite girl off.

_Like I could ever scare a vampire... _Ichigo rolled his eyes at himself.

His eyes strayed to his window. It was open, how he liked to keep it now, and he stared at the sky. It was dark; Rukia would probably be in the city by now.

Ichigo had understood when she told him she couldn't eat around him. Still, he was itching to go out and find her, just to see her again.

Instead, he forced himself to stay put. He reassured himself that he would go to her house tomorrow, and this time he would actually knock on the door.

Ichigo preoccupied himself by thinking of all the questions he wanted to ask her, all the things he wanted to know about her, until he fell asleep.

.

After dropping off the letter at Urahara's, Rukia went further into the city.

It was sobering to think how easy it was to find suitable humans at night, in places like this. As if on cue, a man and woman walked past. Rukia knew the woman was incredibly intoxicated, and likely drugged.

Her heart was beating erratically, but the man seemed fine. In fact, he was excited; his blood flowed forcefully throughout his body.

But Rukia couldn't quite bring herself to kill him. It seemed like such a waste of time. Instead, she blinded him.

He yelled and flailed around for a while. The woman abandoned him, as Rukia had expected, and managed to get herself into a taxicab.

Once the cab was gone, Rukia let him see again. The idea of eating him still disgusted her though, and she decided to keep walking.

It was strange, feeling hungry but not wanting to eat. Rukia just couldn't bring herself to do it; she kept thinking about Ichigo, and how low it was to eat such despicable creatures.

Finally, she gave up.

Urahara had clearly been expecting her when she returned in the early morning. He had a large buck waiting for her, and she ate eagerly.

When she tried to thank him for his thoughtfulness, he just brushed her off.

"It's no trouble. I remember how my feelings changed too, when I took in my Ururu and Jinta. Loving humans makes it so much harder to justify our way of life." The old man took her hand tightly in his own before she left again. "But remember, we are what we are. You don't have to explain your choices to anyone but yourself."

Rukia nodded, gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and made her exit. She had a lot to think about before she saw Ichigo again.

.

When Ichigo woke up, he was almost disappointed to see that his room was empty.

He took his time showering and getting ready for the day until he remembered that Rukia never slept anyway. He made it to her house in record time.

Ichigo took a deep breath before knocking on the huge wooden door. He waited a minute, but there was no answer.

He almost knocked again, but it occurred to him that Rukia would have sensed him coming. If she was here, she could have opened the door before he even reached the porch.

_Or maybe she is here, and she just doesn't want to see me... _Ichigo pushed the thought away.

Around the side of the house, he heard the gate door swing open. Double-checking that Rukia wasn't watching him from a window or a tree or something, he walked around the porch to get a better look.

The gate was wide open, swinging slightly in the wind. It led to the back yard, into the garden.

_If Rukia really isn't here, surely she wouldn't mind me just looking... _Ichigo knew that was a lie, but he couldn't pull himself away from the familiar scene in front of him.

The stone path, the tall plants, and the bushes with the tiny white flowers, everything looked exactly like it had in his dreams.

Ichigo continued between two perfectly pruned bushes to find that he now had a perfect view of the back porch.

And there, on the back porch, surrounded by curling vines and bright flowers, was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Rukia looked up at him from behind some sort of art easel, smiling. She was wearing a flowing sundress and held a paintbrush in her hand.

When Ichigo finally found his voice, it was a pathetic attempt at an excuse that came tumbling out of his mouth. "I didn't mean- The gate was open and I thought..."

But, much to his surprise, Rukia didn't look angry. Instead, she just chuckled. "I left it open on purpose. I wanted to see if you really were nosey enough to trespass into my home."

Ichigo blushed. It sounded a lot worse when she put it that way.

"I just... You have a really nice garden," he said lamely.

"Isn't it?" Rukia's eyes sparkled proudly. "My brother designed it."

Officially out of things to say in the strange situation, Ichigo just stayed quiet. He was tempted to join the petite girl on the porch, but he thought it'd be best to wait for an invitation.

"You want to come inside?"

That was certainly more than Ichigo had expected. "Aren't vampires supposed to be super secretive about where they live?"

Rukia laughed again. "I think it'll be all right. Besides, I was about to take a break anyway."

Ichigo followed her cautiously into the large mansion. It wasn't as dark or dusty as he had expected. In fact, it was actually kind of welcoming.

Sunlight streamed into the plush living room where Rukia gestured for him to sit. The walls were covered in paintings, all done in the same style, most likely by the same person.

"I didn't realize you liked painting so much," Ichigo commented.

_They're almost kind of good, _he thought in surprise.

Rukia shrugged, but it was obvious that she was pleased by his noticing. "It passes the time."

Then, his eyes fell on another painting. This one was much darker. It hung above the fireplace and featured three people. None of them looked happy.

"Is that... from when you first became a vampire?" Ichigo asked. The figures were dressed in old-fashioned clothes, and the style was much more depressing than the paintings Rukia had done.

The dark haired girl looked up at the portrait with him. She was pensive for a long moment, but finally she took a deep breath, as if she had just made a decision.

"Yes. That's me in the middle, and then my older sister. Byakuya wanted it done to symbolize our becoming a family."

"I didn't know you had a sister," Ichigo said. The woman in the picture did look incredibly similar to the younger girl, but the man didn't bear the same family resemblance. He looked very serious, with sharper features, even though all three had the same raven-colored hair.

When Rukia didn't say anything right away, Ichigo turned his attention to her. Her expression was sadder than he had ever seen.

"Hisana... died many years ago. She couldn't... The change was incredibly difficult for her."

Ichigo frowned. He didn't want to make her continue with such a painful topic, but it seemed like she wanted to talk about it.

"I thought... Did you all change at the same time?" Ichigo asked gently.

Rukia shook her head. She looked down, her bangs covering most of her face, and when she spoke, her voice was thick.

"Byakuya is much older. He came to Karakura about 150 years ago," Rukia started. "Eli- I mean, Orihime had only been here for a short time. Even now, she wouldn't have been able to do much. Byakuya is incredibly strong, one of the most powerful vampires alive. But, he isn't proud or cruel. He never ate inside Karakura, out of respect for her."

She looked up at him now, gaining confidence as she fell into the rhythm of the story. "My sister was about to go to college when she met him. They kept their relationship a secret for a long time, until... Byakuya didn't want to do it, but Hisana asked him to change her, so they could really be together."

Rukia glanced back up at the portrait before continuing. "Sometimes, vampires are created by accident. It happens when a vampire doesn't take every last drop of blood from a human. These accidental vampires are weak, because they have so little blood when they change.

"When Byakuya bit Hisana, she was the first and only human he's ever changed. It's amazing that he had such self-control at all, but he left her with little human blood. Neither of them were prepared for the amount of Byakuya's strength that was passed on to Hisana... And how starved she was for blood." Rukia paused, fighting against the memory.

"Hisana returned to our home and killed our parents. She found me next, hiding in my room. She bit me, but she was already full of my parents' blood. She took very little of mine. That's why I'm as strong as I am, and why Byakuya's powers were passed down to me."

Ichigo quickly shut his gaping mouth and tried to process everything she had just revealed to him. "Rukia, I'm so sorry..."

_I can't believe the stories about the Kuchiki mansion were actually true..._

"Don't be. Orihime hadn't been able to stop Hisana, but she handled everything else for us. She arranged the funeral and she's taken care of this house ever since we left. She lets me and my brother come back and stay here because she feels so guilty... She thinks it's her fault that I changed."

_Well, it is..._ But Ichigo didn't want to interrupt her story.

"I know what you're thinking, but I don't blame her. She did her best, and now she allows me to live in this house, even though I'm a danger everyone here."

"But you're not," Ichigo protested. "You wouldn't hurt an innocent person. Orihime should know that."

Rukia gave him a sad smile. "I have, though. When I first changed, I didn't care about anything but Hisana, and when she died, it got even worse. I killed anyone I wanted to, humans, elves, wolves, innocent, or guilty, indiscriminately. I haven't acted like that in a long time, but to Orihime, I'll always be a threat."

Ichigo crossed his arms. All the things he was finding out about Orihime still bothered him, but he was more curious about something else.

"How did Hisana die?"

Rukia swallowed back tears. "She never forgave herself for what happened. She refused to eat humans after I changed, and it was a struggle to even get her to eat animals. She finally starved to death. It broke Byakuya's heart..."

Bright violet eyes looked at him, desperately searching for forgiveness. "I wasn't there," she whispered. "I was still so frustrated, I never stayed with them long. I was roaming the world, doing whatever I wanted, eating whenever I felt like it, and I wasn't there for her when she died."

Ichigo's chest tightened with sympathy. "I'm sure she understood. She knew how much you cared about her."

Rukia shook her head. She stood up abruptly, sniffing tears away, and walked over to stare up at the painting.

"She had no idea. We got the painting done together when we were still almost a family. But, I left just days afterward because Byakuya had scolded me for killing humans without eating them. I said I hated them both, and that I was never coming back." Rukia wiped her eyes dry. "Byakuya found me, almost dead, because I had tried to attack a group of elves. He's taken care of me ever since."

Ichigo got up and walked over to her small frame. He tentatively put a reassuring hand on her shaking shoulder.

Rukia didn't turn to face him, but she leaned into his touch and covered his hand with her own. "Thank you," she whispered.

Then, after taking a deep breath to build up his courage, Ichigo wrapped his arms around the girl in front of him.

She was rigidly still for a moment, and Ichigo wondered if he had made a mistake. But then, Rukia relaxed and put her hands on his arms, holding them against her.

Blissfully relieved by her reaction, Ichigo let his chin rest on the top of her head, savoring the sensation of her soft dark hair against his skin.

When they finally broke apart, the sun was high in the sky, and Ichigo had no idea how much time had passed while they were standing there, protectively gathered up in each other's tight embrace.

* * *

Awwwwww :)

Also, for those of you who've been reading First Impressions, let me know if you have any ideas/suggestions.


	11. Chapter 11

You guys are the best! HUGE thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far :)

* * *

**Chapter 11**

"Oh, come on, Ichigo!" Rukia pleaded, trailing right behind him as they walked up the steps to his front porch. "Please?"

The orange haired boy shook his head. "Trust me, you do not want to meet my father. Besides, it'll just take me a second to grab-Hey! I said 'wait here!'"

Rukia just grinned, already around Ichigo and through the front door to the Kurosaki residence.

"Rukia!" He hissed, trying to get his little vampire back on the porch and out of sight before anyone saw her.

"Is that you, Ichigo?" A sweet voice chirped from the kitchen.

_Oh great... Now I really won't hear the end of it. _

_._

"Yuzu?" Rukia asked back, trying to sound surprised.

She knew all of the Kurosaki clan was home, and she was eager to meet their patriarch, finally.

The petite blonde stepped into the hallway and broke out in a huge smile.

"Rukia! How are you?" Yuzu greeted her elusive classmate. "I thought you had moved again, it's been so long!"

Ichigo frowned beside her. "You really never go to school anymore?"

"It's not like I need to." Rukia muttered, before smiling again. "But I have missed eating lunch with you and Karin! I'm sorry I didn't tell you I'd be away for a while."

"Oh, don't be sorry! We were just worried, is all," Yuzu said reassuringly. "Are you staying for long? I just started a batch of cookies that you'd just love!"

Ichigo shook his head adamantly, but Rukia was well accustomed to brushing off such invitations. "That sounds so wonderful, but I'm afraid I just started a new diet!"

Yuzu's expression was surprised but she quickly covered it. "Well, you certainly don't need it. Has my brother been telling you that you should lose weight?"

The younger sibling's eyes narrowed at the elder.

_They certainly are related... _Rukia almost laughed.

"It's nothing like that," Rukia tried to reassure her. "Ichigo's been nothing but kind to me."

Yuzu seemed satisfied by her answer, but she gave her brother one last sly look. "Does this mean that you two are going out now?"

Rukia enjoyed the rush of blood that swelled in the boy's cheeks. But before she could explain their relationship, another voice entered the conversation.

"Wait! Ichigo's going out with someone?"

Rukia recognized Karin as she skidded down the stairs in a hurry to see if her ears could possibly be deceiving her.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Can't you guys give it a rest?"

Karin's jaw dropped once she saw Rukia standing there, next to the orange haired boy.

"No way! You actually got the guts to ask her out?" The dark haired Kurosaki was incredulous.

Yuzu grinned. "I couldn't believe it either, but here he is. And now that they're standing next to each other, the attractiveness gap really is obvious."

"You're right," Karin nodded glumly before looking at Rukia. "She really could do better."

Rukia couldn't help laughing at the pair. She knew Ichigo was embarrassed, but it was kind of nice being around a normal family.

_And did he really tell them that he wanted to go out with me?_

"Don't you have something else to do?" Ichigo asked irritably.

Karin smiled sweetly. "There's nothing I'd rather do than spend time with you, Big Brother."

Rukia chuckled again and wondered how her own big brother would act if she ever dared to speak to him like that.

Ichigo huffed, and Rukia decided it was time to relieve him.

"Is your father around? I'd really like to meet him."

Yuzu's eyebrows rose and Karin started snickering. Ichigo had taken a seat in the living room and was holding his head in his hands, grumbling about something or other.

_Surely, he can't be that bad. _Rukia straightened her shoulders and looked expectantly at the sisters.

"Well... He's in the basement," Yuzu finally said. "He likes working with new medicines and things down there. I suppose... I could get him. If that's ok with Ichigo," she added quickly.

Ichigo looked up with a very displeased expression, but apparently Yuzu took that as permission. She went to the door to the basement and called for her father to come up and meet their guest.

"You should probably sit down," Karin whispered, gesturing to the living room.

"Why wo-"

Rukia's question was cut short by the large man that emerged from the basement and scooped her up in an incredibly tight embrace.

"You must be an angel!" He exclaimed, spinning her around. "I knew one day my prayers would be answered for my poor son to finally find himself a girlfriend, but I never expected her to be so beautiful!"

He set her down then, and ushered her into the living room.

"Now, tell me everything. When will you be getting married? Shouldn't I speak with your parents first? You seem very young," Dr. Kurosaki questioned.

Once Rukia's head stopped spinning, she realized that she had already grown very fond of the older man.

She smiled at his warm welcome and tried her best to explain. "I'm actually ...16. And I'm afraid we haven't decided on a date yet. But you'll be the first to know if we do."

"We're not getting married, Dad. She's just kidding," Ichigo said quickly, before hissing, "Don't encourage him."

Ichigo's father looked at his son thoughtfully, before turning his attention back to Rukia.

"Tell me, what makes a pretty young thing like you want to spend the rest of her life with a loser like my son?"

"Dad!" Ichigo exclaimed, obviously near the end of his limits with his family.

Rukia giggled. This man reminded her slightly of her own father... At least, she thought she remembered.

"Dr. Kurosaki, please don't worry. I assure you, I've sincerely enjoyed most of the time I've spent with your son so far. Now that I've met you, I can see that he's really learned a lot from you."

"I have not," Ichigo grumbled.

"Please, call me Isshin." The older man beamed

"Isshin, then. It's been a pleasure," Rukia said respectfully before standing.

It was strange, but, as much as she enjoyed being around this man, it was only his personality that was attractive. He didn't share the same intoxicatingly sweet smell that was so strong on his children.

"Come back anytime," Isshin said warmly, rising with her and taking her hands. "I'm so happy that my idiot son was at least smart enough to throw himself on your mercy. I hope to see you again soon."

"All right, that's enough," Ichigo interjected, trying to pull Rukia away from his father's grip and out the door. "Now you've met, let's go."

"I'd love to be back soon!" Rukia called before Ichigo could essentially shove her through the doorway. "Bye Yuzu! See you on Monday, Karin!"

.

"Told you my dad was nuts," Ichigo said once they were a safe distance from the house.

Rukia shrugged, still smiling inexplicably. "It's nice, seeing your family. Your father really cares about you."

"Cares about having grandchildren, you mean," Ichigo rolled his eyes. "It must be more normal with you and your brother."

Rukia paused. _Are Byakuya and I really normal?_

"I don't know. It's certainly quieter."

Her tone wasn't teasing or joking, but it was the seriousness on the petite girl's face that made Ichigo laugh.

He wasn't sure if it was relief that she had finally met his father, and she hadn't run the other way, or if it was that fact that she hadn't once corrected his family by saying that they were just friends.

.

"What now?" Rukia asked as they were walking along the river.

Ichigo shrugged, trying to hide the fact that his stomach was twisting into knots. "I don't know. Why didn't you say anything when Karin asked if we were together?"

Bright purple eyes looked up at him curiously. "Well, technically, we were standing together. But I meant, what do you want to do now? We're almost at the edge of town."

_Oh... Well, then..._

"I guess we just turn around and go the other way," Ichigo said, trying not to sound as mortified as he felt.

Rukia laughed lightly. "I suppose that's as good as anything else."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed quietly.

_Ok, really, now's as good as ever..._

"Why didn't you say anything when Karin asked if we were 'going out'?" He asked, emphasizing the difference in the last two words.

"I don't know, Ichigo." Her tone was surprisingly sharp. "I figured it was your responsibility to tell your family about your life, not mine."

"Oh..." He wasn't sure what to say next, so he didn't say anything.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Rukia finally asked.

Her expression was guarded, but she was watching him carefully out of the corner of her eye.

"I don't know. I guess... I guess I kind of thought we were." Ichigo sighed. "But that was stupid. And I'm sorry. I'll tell them when I go back home."

Rukia looked far in front of them contemplatively.

"It'd be ridiculous," she said simply. "You know that, right? Vampires and humans could never... interact in that way. It's too dangerous."

"Then why are you still here?" Ichigo asked, with more frustration than he'd intended. "You didn't have to talk to me, or tell me all that stuff about my mom and your brother and you."

He could tell from her expression that his words had stung, and he was about to apologize when she replied.

"I can't really explain it. But I like being around you," Rukia said frankly. "Vampires are cold creatures; we get our powers from darkness, and I can't remember the last time I actually felt warmth. But, with you... It's like standing next to the sun."

She smiled at the thought. "It's like summer, all the time."

Ichigo frowned. _Is that another way of saying she likes me too?_

"You mean, you've been hanging out with me all this time, because..." he paused. There were just too many jokes about being hot, and this seemed like the wrong time.

"Because, I suppose I have feelings for you," Rukia conceded. "But that doesn't matter compared to all the danger I'd be putting you in if we even entertained the th-"

Before his logic had a chance to catch up with what his ears were hearing, Ichigo kissed the girl standing beside him.

He felt her shock dissipate under his hands as she slowly returned the kiss. Her lips were soft, more delicate than he had ever imagined, and her hands lightly pressed against his chest. He was sure she could feel his racing heart, but her hair was silky between his fingers and her body fit perfectly against his when he pulled her closer.

Her arms loosely found their way around his neck in a very controlled movement, and it was then that Ichigo realized just how cautious she was around him.

"You're not going to hurt me," he whispered without pulling away.

Rukia's shoulders slumped forward disappointment and she gently rested her head between his neck and shoulders.

"You don't know that," she said back.

Ichigo almost laughed. He knew he wasn't indestructible, but he certainly wasn't as fragile as she was treating him.

"I'm not made of glass, you know," he tried to point out. "Chad and I fight all the time. I'm actually pretty tough for a human."

Rukia frowned and looked up at him. "You and Chad fight _each other_?"

"I meant, we get in fights with other people sometimes," Ichigo explained.

He felt the small body in his arms shake with laughter.

"I was almost concerned," Rukia said softly, still grinning at the idea.

"Chad's not that much bigger," Ichigo said, annoyed that she seemed to think he wouldn't be able to hold his own against the other boy.

"That's not what I was worried about." Rukia let out a contented sigh. "This is absurd. You know that, right?"

It took Ichigo a minute to realize that she was talking about their relationship again. "I don't see anything wrong with it."

Rukia looked up at him reproachfully. Then, she exhaled and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just don't surprise me like that anymore. I could bite you by accident if we're not careful."

Ichigo felt himself grinning like an idiot.

He pulled her back in and kissed the top of her head, before whispering happily, "Deal."

* * *

Awwwwwwwwwww :)


	12. Chapter 12

Hello lovelies Sorry this took so long

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Monday morning was a trying time for Rukia. Because of her frequent absences, most of her teachers seemed to take pleasure in trying to prove that she was falling behind.

Unfortunately for them, one only needs to repeat freshman year a few times and most of the material sticks around forever, useful or not. The other students were obviously mystified by Rukia's extensive knowledge of human cells, and she was grateful when the teacher finally decided to move on.

Also, that morning, Rukia was careful to stay away from Elisade. Rationally, there was no way the elf could know about the change that had occurred in her and Ichigo's relationship over the weekend, but if she ever found out...

Well, Rukia was pretty sure dating humans in Karakura was just as bad as eating them, maybe even worse.

Still, the petite vampire didn't feel quite as guilty as she knew she should. Just thinking about the orange haired boy made her heart flutter and she would find herself staring off into space with an absent smile unexpectedly present on her face.

When lunch arrived, Rukia eagerly made her way to the cafeteria.

The twins' conversation lulled and their attention fixated on her as she sat down. Rukia tried to smile innocently.

"I still can't believe you're dating that moron," Karin said in place of a greeting, shaking her head.

"Karin!" Yuzu scolded her sister. "She just means that it's surprising that you and Ichigo are together."

_So that's what this is about... _Rukia smiled.

A day earlier, she and Ichigo had spent most of the day together, before taking Karin and Yuzu back up to their old picnic spot. Of course, it had been difficult to explain why she wasn't eating, but getting to see Ichigo and his family again had been worth it.

She pulled an empty juice box out of her bag and pretended to suck up some of the imaginary liquid. It had been Ichigo's idea, and it seemed to work.

_If only we could come up with a similar arrangement for other human foods..._

"I don't think it's that surprising," Rukia finally commented, lying through her teeth.

_Byakuya did it too, _she remembered. The precarious arrangement wasn't entirely unprecedented...

The thought of her brother reminded her, she couldn't delay reading the letter she had picked up from Urahara's any longer. She'd have to do it today.

_Stupid school... _Rukia mentally rolled her eyes and took another sip from her empty juice box_. What a waste of time._

_._

_This is so weird, _Ichigo thought to himself.

He had been discretely watching Orihime all morning, trying to determine if he could really tell the difference between an elf and a human, or if he was just biased because he already knew the redhead's secret.

Her crystalline eyes and deep auburn hair could probably be considered inhuman, Ichigo reasoned. He wondered if all elves and vampires were as captivating as the ones he knew, or if they ranged in attractiveness like humans.

He watched Orihime gaze out the window, enjoying the sunlight streaming through onto her face and arms.

Ichigo thought briefly about how Rukia said she missed feeling the sun on her skin.

It had been disheartening, watching her the other day when they went on their picnic with Yuzu and Karin. While they were eating, she just sat, unoccupied, but looking up at the sky, as if staring at the sun long enough might allow her to feel something.

Orihime dropped her pencil on the ground, pulling Ichigo from his thoughts.

"I'm just so clumsy," she commented when he picked it up for her. "Thanks, Ichigo."

"No problem," he said curtly. He still was annoyed with his classmate for everything she'd done, or didn't do, but he was trying not to let it show.

It'd be tricky to explain his feelings if anyone noticed his unusual behavior.

Orihime returned to staring absently out the window, and Ichigo wondered why he had never noticed how tired she looked sometimes.

_Well, I guess 200 years of protecting people would take a toll on someone..._

Rukia had said that elves had some control over nature. Did Orihime use her powers as rarely as Rukia, or could she be freer with them because nature was already so unpredictable?

As far as he knew, the elf had never used her powers around him... But then, she was always gardening. And taking walks in the woods and making weird vegetarian recipes.

Ichigo decided the last one could just be an Orihime thing, not an elf thing, but it was still surprising how much her odd habits made sense now.

Still, he wished he could see her use her powers at least once. He'd have to ask Rukia more about it...

_Speaking of which, she never did show me how her shadow thing works. _

Ichigo stood up as soon as the bell for lunch rang. Rukia had assured him that she would be at school today, but he had his doubts. Between their lunch periods was the only time they could really see each other during school, and Ichigo was planning on stretching their time as much as possible.

.

Rukia left Karin and Yuzu as they exited the cafeteria and went to find Ichigo.

She felt him coming down the hallway, and stepped aside to meet him. Then, she sensed the older werewolf walking behind him, and her heart dropped.

_How could I have been so stupid, _Rukia cursed herself. If Ichigo had told his friend anything about their relationship, he would have felt obligated to tell Elisade.

And Rukia wasn't sure she'd be able to smooth that one out with the over-protective elf.

Ichigo was smiling before he reached her, as if he was already expecting her. Rukia tried to hide her anxiety and waited for Chad to pass them before meeting Ichigo's eyes.

"Did you tell him anything?" she asked, not bothering with greetings.

Ichigo frowned. "Chad? No, I didn't tell him about us."

Rukia let out the breath she had been holding. "Thank goodness."

"I told you, I'm not going to tell anyone about you. Only my family knows that we even hang out." Ichigo tried to reassure her.

_Oh, I can think of a few more people... _Rukia thought to herself.

"But why does Chad matter? I thought you were more worried about Orihime," he continued.

Rukia realized she would have to be more careful with her words. Telling him about Orihime had been mostly harmless, but she knew how badly Chad wanted his secret kept a secret.

"I figured he'd be the first person you'd tell since you two are so close," Rukia reasoned.

"Oh," Ichigo shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. He doesn't really like talking about you after what happened with Renji though."

Rukia smiled. That was a relief, at least. "Well, the less people talk about me, the better."

"Why was Renji so mad at you anyway?" Ichigo asked, suddenly remembering how random their violent interaction had seemed at the time.

"I've known him since he was young," Rukia started, wondering how to continue. She was sure Renji wouldn't want his secret known either.

"He was adopted by two vampires. But he didn't know about them, of course. The vampires were close friends of my brother and I, but one of them died while Renji was still young. I guess seeing me again brought back bad memories."

Ichigo looked confused, and Rukia didn't blame him. Her explanation might have been honest, but it was still pretty spotty.

"How does a vampire just die like that? And why would they adopt a human child in the first place?"

"Vampires cannot reproduce, and some are more inclined to raise and take care of children than others. And remember how I told you that vampires can be created by accident? This vampire, Tessai, was like that. He was attacked by a werewolf one day and he wasn't strong enough to defeat it," Rukia said, slightly saddened by the memory of her old friend.

"Wow," Ichigo said quietly. "Werewolves must be really strong, then."

Rukia shrugged, slightly offended. "Some are stronger than others. They still don't have powers like vampires or elves though."

"I wanted to ask you about that," Ichigo said, suddenly remembering. "Can you show me how you do the thing with the shadows now?"

_The thing with the shadows... _Never had her abilities been described so crudely. Still, it made Rukia smile.

"You'll be late for lunch," she commented.

"Just real quick? I'll tell Chad I had to go back to my locker."

Rukia sighed. She really couldn't refuse the gorgeous boy standing in front of her.

Besides, the hall was empty now. And, Rukia decided, if she was going to be late for her next class anyway, she might as well just go home for the day instead.

.

"Fine," she complied. "I'm not going to change anything for real though, that's too risky. I'll take the light from your eyes, so you won't be able to see anything."

Ichigo suddenly wondered if this was what he really wanted, but he nodded his head to show he was ready.

Rukia scanned the hallway one last time to be sure. Then, her own eyes turned completely black, and an instant later, Ichigo was surrounded by complete darkness.

His heart skipped a beat in fear, but he quickly reminded himself that Rukia wouldn't let anything happen to him. He blinked, as if he would be able to see again when he opened his eyes.

But nothing happened.

Ichigo reached his hands out into the inky blackness, and he felt soft hands intertwine with his own.

"It's not real," she whispered, before pressing his hand against the wall beside them. "Only your vision is changed."

He felt the lockers, but he still couldn't see them, or even his own hand. He knew it had only been a short while, but already he was sick of the emptiness everywhere he looked.

"Ok," Ichigo said, trying not to sound panicked. "I-That's-"

Suddenly, the fluorescent lights flooded the space around him and Ichigo felt a heaviness evaporate in his chest.

Rukia's eyes were a deep purple again. She was smiling. "You handled that surprisingly well. I'm impressed."

Ichigo noticed she was still holding his hands, and he tried not to blush at the undeserved praise.

"You were trying to freak me out, then?" Ichigo tried to sound irritated but his curiosity was too strong to allow him to stay mad for long.

"Can you see while you're doing that? Or do you blind yourself too?" He asked, referring to the dark shadows that covered her own eyes when she had used her power.

"When I first changed, I was immersed in the same darkness as you were. But now, I can control it a lot better. I couldn't do shapes before, either," Rukia said.

"Can you make me see something now?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia's eyes clouded in darkness again, and a shadowy blur emerged in Ichigo's vision.

"What the hell is that?" He asked.

"It's a bunny, you idiot!" Rukia hissed, obviously insulted.

The outline eventually solidified, and Ichigo recognized the animal, sitting in the hallway. The rabbit sat on the ceiling, on the lockers, on Rukia's suddenly pensive face...

Then, just like before, the image faded and light filled the empty space.

"All right, show's over. Chad's wondering where you are," Rukia said distractedly.

"Fine," Ichigo begrudgingly replied, wondering if his comment had really ticked her off that badly. "I'll see you later?"

Rukia's expression relaxed and she smiled gently. "There are some things I have to do, and but I'll come by your house later tonight."

"Good," Ichigo confirmed. "I'll ask Yuzu to make dinner early, then."

He kissed her forehead in another attempt to make up for insulting her rabbit, before stealing a quick kiss from her lips, and heading into the cafeteria.

As he sat down, he realized something was bugging him. It was a nagging feeling, in the back of his mind, that he hadn't realized until he saw Chad sitting across from him.

_"Chad's wondering where you are," Rukia said. _

Ichigo kept his expression appropriately suspicion-less during lunch with the older boy, but he couldn't help but wonder: Could his best friend really be hiding something from him?


	13. Chapter 13

Oh my gosh, you guys, we're almost at 100 reviews. I cannot even express my excitement to you all :) Thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing and alerting and favorite-ing and everything else that you all do!

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**Chapter 13**

_Dear Rukia,_

_I am pleased to hear that you are safe and well._

_The garden was intended for the enjoyment of your sister and you. I have no desire to see it._

_I regret to say, I believe I have killed the werewolf that was responsible for the death of Tessai and those children. As he was a gentle man, I know it would have been against his wishes, but I could not control myself._

_I will not be returning to Karakura. I cannot face Urahara after what I have done. I hope he is still reading this, and knows that I will continue my attempts to build communication between vampires and werewolves, and encouraging exclusively animal diets._

_This is all I can do to show my deepest regrets, to him and your sister._

_All my love,_

_Byakuya_

_(Urahara, my dearest friend, please forgive me)_

Rukia set the note down on the desk in front of her. Her body felt numb, except for her heart bursting painfully in her chest for her brother.

_Why didn't Urahara say anything...?_

She put a hand over her mouth as the realization sunk in. This explained why the old man had acted so strange the last time she visited, providing her with the deer and then telling her about his love for Ururu and Jinta.

Out of habit, a pen was already in Rukia's hand, ready to write her response. But she let it fall between her fingers. She wasn't ready to write back yet; she had no idea what she could say that would possibly comfort her brother.

Instead, she went to find the only person who she knew could comfort her.

.

"Is everything all right?" Ichigo finally asked.

They were in his room while the orange haired teen worked on a math assignment. Rukia had been occupying herself by staring listlessly at his bookshelf for at least an hour, pretending to inspect his choice in reading material.

"Byakuya won't be coming to Karakura," she answered simply.

Ichigo frowned. "Is he ok? Did something happen?"

Rukia realized she should probably feel relieved; she wouldn't have to worry about hiding her relationship with Ichigo.

Still, it was an awfully bittersweet blessing.

"Why don't we go for a walk?" She asked, ignoring the questions.

"Just let me finish this up, ok?" The boy answered, turning back to his homework.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "At least half of those are wrong anyway. You might as well give up."

Ichigo shot her a look, and the petite girl decided that her tone could have been a little nicer.

"I mean, at least you'll get points for completion," she tried again. "That's pretty good."

"How do you know I'm doing them wrong? You haven't even looked at the problem set," Ichigo protested.

"Well, for starters, your calculator's been on 'save' mode for the past half hour. You also have your textbook open to the wrong chapter. And your 'notes' are just doodles, with some numbers randomly scribbled in the margin."

"That's pretty rich coming from the girl who's been to maybe four days of class this semester," he commented sourly.

Rukia shrugged. "I've probably attended more years of high school than you've been alive."

Ichigo grumbled something that was actually quite offensive before turning back to his work, but it made her think.

Maybe she had been a little harsh. And she felt kind of bad for taking her frustration out on this boy when he had been nothing but kind to her since he noticed her foul mood.

"Here," she took his pencil out of his hand mid-calculation. "Just let me do them."

Ichigo's jaw clenched tightly, and Rukia could practically feel the irritation radiating from his deep scowl.

But, she was able to finish the last ten problems in twenty minutes, something that would have taken the teenage boy at least an hour at the rate he had been going.

.

"Are you sure you want to keep going this way?" Rukia asked once they reached the edge of town, and the beginning of the deep woods the surrounded Karakura.

Ichigo grinned. "You afraid of the dark?"

The raven-haired girl couldn't decide between rolling her eyes or smirking at the joke. So, she just kept walking.

"You know, you can talk to me about anything," he said after a few minutes of silence. "I know I don't understand everything, but you don't have to try to handle all your problems by yourself."

In that moment, Rukia wanted to tell Ichigo everything, about everything. But that was just wishful thinking.

"I appreciate that," she said honestly. "But it's enough that you're here."

She could tell Ichigo was far from satisfied with her response, but he didn't push the issue. Instead, he took her hand in his own and held it tightly.

Rukia gently squeezed her fingers around his and let her head fall lightly against his arm.

"This is almost kind of romantic, don't you think?" She asked quietly.

Ichigo frowned. The woods around them were dark, and creepy, and the full moon illuminated the trees just enough to cause the branches to look like long, skinny arms reaching out towards the couple.

Of course, he knew it was ridiculous to be nervous, especially with his little vampire at his side, but he was starting to think it had been a bad idea to go for a stroll in the forest at night.

"I guess... In a super creepy, bad horror movie sort of way," he answered truthfully.

If he was being honest with himself, the scene reminded him entirely too much of his frequent nightmares, with the full moon and black, empty silence surrounding them.

Rukia grinned, amused by his response.

_Well, at least she's smiling again..._

"This is the type of environment vampires thrive in. Don't tell me that you are afraid of the dark," she teased, throwing his own words back at him.

"I'm not afraid. It's just weird that it's so quiet."

Rukia looked perplexed for a moment before regaining her assured, confident posture. "One of the werewolves passed through here a while ago. Animals usually have the sense to stay away from these areas until they know it's safe again."

Ichigo tried to hide his concern. "Should we really be here, then?"

Rukia laughed like he had made a joke. "The wolf's on the other side of town. Besides, it'd have to be incredibly foolish to try to attack us."

Ichigo sincerely doubted the logic of a creature that was half-dog, but he kept his skepticism to himself.

"Maybe we should head back. It's getting late, anyway." Ichigo nudged her good-naturedly. "Some of us actually sleep at night."

"Fine," Rukia pushed back playfully, almost too hard. She laughed as the boy regained his balance. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It didn't hurt," Ichigo insisted, fighting the urge to massage his definitely bruised shoulder.

"Wait," Rukia froze, pulling Ichigo to a halt as well.

"What is-"

The shorter girl put a finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet. The intense look of concentration on her face made Ichigo nervous, and he seriously hoped that she was just playing a trick on him because she enjoyed seeing him squirm.

But she never started laughing.

"Let's walk this way instead." Rukia phrased the statement like a suggestion, but Ichigo heard the urgency in her voice. They were walking quickly, and he found that he was actually struggling to keep up with the girl's fast pace.

Then, just in front of them, appeared the largest wolf Ichigo had ever seen.

.

_What on Earth is he doing? _Rukia fumed, trying not reveal her concern to Ichigo.

The stupid mutt had backtracked, and very fast, to reach them. She understood that he had been hunting, and the smell of a vampire mixed with Ichigo's amazing scent was probably quite tempting.

_But still... _Rukia frowned. _Would he really try something so risky?_

She sensed him circle around their position, preparing to attack, and she pulled Ichigo behind her.

The wolf's huge head was visible now, and Rukia recognized the deep, russet-colored coat.

"Jinta!" She called out, hoping to snap the idiot out of his trance.

But he didn't respond. His mind was focused on one thing only.

Rukia crouched, every muscle tensed like a spring ready to explode, so that her body was between the wolf and the boy behind her. She hissed, revealing her razor sharp teeth in an attempt to intimidate him into backing down.

The wolf snarled and set its shoulders in preparation for the first attack.

"Stay behind me," Rukia said slowly. "We're going to be fine."

Ichigo's heart was beating furiously, and she realized his body was beyond the panic stage. He was responding strongly to the memory of the only other werewolf he had ever seen, the one that had killed his mother.

But before Rukia could try to reach out to him again, the red wolf lunged.

The vampire easily got underneath the huge, furry body and threw it up and over its destination and into a tree. It broke numerous branches as it fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

The wolf was up again within seconds, and Rukia took her position again. Her eyes went black, and Ichigo could see the other creature's eyes darken as well. It stumbled around clumsily for a moment before regaining its footing.

"It can still smell," Rukia reminded him.

The wolf charged blindly forward, and she forced Ichigo to one side, just barely sidestepping the animal's open mouth.

Ichigo gasped and clutched his stomach, trying to recover from the forceful shove. By the time Rukia realized her mistake, the wolf was already racing towards them again.

With just inches keeping the large creature from snapping its jaws shut on its prey, Rukia sensed another presence coming towards them at an incredible speed.

The giant brown wolf collided with the smaller animal not a second too soon, barreling into it at breakneck speed. The momentum sent both creatures flying into the trunk of an old tree. The tree shook violently before the top fell to the ground with a loud crack.

Rukia felt her heart skip a beat, and she sighed in relief when she felt that both creatures were still alive.

The brown wolf backed away from the broken tree and shook itself off. Rukia searched for the other one, before noticing the shock of red hair and white skin that was now lying in an unconscious heap on the ground.

_**I'm sorry **_

The older wolf's deep familiar voice echoed in Rukia's mind. She looked up to meet the creature's eyes, letting him know that she understood.

_**Get Ichigo home safely ...and I'll understand if you tell him about Renji, but please don't say anything about me. **_

Rukia nodded. She knew that an explanation about the redhead was unavoidable now that Ichigo had seen him change for himself, but she would do her best to continue hiding the other wolf's identity.

He picked Renji's limp body up gingerly between his teeth and disappeared back into the darkness of the woods.

"Are you all right?" Rukia asked once the wolves were gone.

His eyes were wide and his entire body shook with adrenaline and fear, but Ichigo managed to nod his head affirmatively.

"I'm... I'm all right." He said, more to reassure himself that it was true.

Rukia felt her heart swell. She had been so scared that he might be hurt, so ready to fight for him, and she hadn't even realized it until the moment she almost lost him.

"Ichigo," she whispered, pulling him into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry."

"It-it's ok," he said weakly. "So... Renji's a werewolf then?"

Rukia sighed, but nodded. "Yes. I guess he just couldn't resist. He's still young, for a wolf."

"That explains a lot. And the other one?" Ichigo asked.

"No one you need to worry about," she answered.

Ichigo considered asking again, but decided against it. Instead, he pressed his lips against the top of her head and let the smaller girl's strength support him.

After a moment that wasn't nearly long enough, Rukia stepped back.

"We have to go," she said reluctantly.

Ichigo scowled, displeased with the interruption. "Why?"

Rukia's dark eyes were filled with apprehension. "Elisade knows what happened."

As much as he didn't care what Orihime knew or didn't know, Ichigo let the petite girl drag him out of the woods as fast as she could manage, short of carrying him.

They were just inside Karakura, about to turn the corner on to the path along the river, when Rukia slowed abruptly.

"Oh no..." she breathed.

Ichigo wondered what she was so worried about. They were standing still now, but before he could ask what was going on, a familiar, sugary sweet voice intervened.

"Ichigo! Imagine running into you here!"

* * *

So much suspense! Haha I loved writing this chapter. I hope you guys liked it too!


	14. Chapter 14

You guys are the best! I can't believe we got to 100 reviews! :) This chapter is dedicated to WhiteSheWolf17 for being the 100th reviewer! I'm sorry it's so sad, but I hope you still like it!

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**Chapter 14**

"Ichigo! Imagine running into you here!"

The boy groaned internally at the sight of the redhead. _Can't she just leave me alone?_

"Don't be mad at Renji," Rukia spoke up quickly. "We shouldn't have tempted him."

Orihime laughed lightly. "Don't be silly. Why would I be mad at Renji?"

There was an icy tone to the bubbly girl's voice that Ichigo had never heard before.

_Maybe we really are in trouble... _He thought to himself.

Rukia sighed impatiently. "He knows, Elisade. You don't have to pretend."

The elf's amber eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. "I am fully aware of your reckless behavior, Rukia."

A strong gust of wind whipped around them, like a hot summer breeze right before the rain begins. Ichigo realized that he might just be getting his wish about witnessing the elf's powers.

"It was an accident." Rukia said firmly.

"That's not what I'm talking about," Orihime hissed, her voice laced with anger. "How could you think that no one would notice you showcasing your powers in the middle of school? Do you have any idea how completely ignorant that was? What if someone had seen you? What if Renji had been at school? It's a lot harder to cover up a werewolf attack in front of 5,000 students!"

Rukia stood speechless beside him, and Ichigo immediately became defensive.

"Hey, none of this was her fault," he started, the feelings of betrayal and hurt towards the redheaded girl finally coming to the surface. "Where do you get off criticizing her for using her powers? She saved my life! As far as I can tell, that's a hell of a lot better than your track record."

For a just a fraction of second, Orihime looked utterly heartbroken. She glanced at Rukia accusingly, before looking back at the orange haired boy.

"Ichigo..." She said softly.

"I understand why you didn't tell me," Ichigo continued. "But it seems like this whole thing is your own fault for letting Renji become a werewolf in the first place. Rukia did a pretty damn good job protecting me, I don't see why fighting werewolves seems to be such a problem for you."

Tears brimmed in Orihime's usually warm eyes, making them hard and giving definition to their intricate, crystalline features.

"You don't know what you're talking about," she said coldly. "Maybe next time Rukia wants to play story-teller, you should make sure you're getting the full story. Besides, she acted carelessly by taking you out into the woods. She knew Renji was there."

Orihime turned her attention back to Rukia. "You're putting him in more and more danger every single day. If this doesn't stop, I'm going to ask you to leave Karakura."

Rukia met Orihime's gaze evenly, but Ichigo could tell she was upset. "Don't do this, Elisade. I'm sorry; it won't happen again."

"It certainly won't," the elf snapped. "Besides, I'm sure your brother would agree with me as well. Nothing good ever comes from creatures like us having relationships with humans. That's why I'm putting a stop to this now."

"But don't you think someone should be watching him anyway?" Rukia tried another tactic. "I can keep an eye on the girls too. You know there's something... different about them. I can help, Elisade."

"No," the redhead said flatly. "I've got it under control. I think everyone's had enough of your help."

Ichigo frowned. "Wait a min-"

"No, Ichigo." Rukia said, interrupting and putting a hand on his arm. "It's ok. Let's just go home."

As much as he wanted to stay and continue arguing, Ichigo stayed by Rukia's side as they walked by the other girl.

Orihime lowered her gaze remorsefully as they passed, but Ichigo refused to feel anything but anger towards his old friend.

.

They walked the rest of the way to Ichigo's house in silence, both stewing in their own thoughts.

When they finally reached the Kurosaki residence, they paused and looked at each other. The sadness in Rukia's eyes made Ichigo nervous.

"Ichigo, I-"

The orange haired teen cut her off with a swift kiss. "Don't be sorry. None of this was your fault."

_All of it was my fault..._ Rukia managed a small smile. "I'm not worried about that."

"Then what's wrong?" He asked gently.

_Byakuya would be so disappointed... How can I upset him even more? And Elisade is right, I should know better._

"This... It's not safe, Ichigo. For anyone." She said quietly, mentally bracing herself against the protests that were about to come.

"What are you talking about? You saved my life." Ichigo said quickly, grabbing her shoulders. "Don't listen to Orihime, ok? She's just mad that I like you instead of her."

_Elisade is ...jealous?_

Rukia quickly brushed the thought away. As often as she and the elf disagreed, Rukia had always known the older girl to be loving and caring, protective, not petty and spiteful like Ichigo suspected.

"I think she's right about this." Rukia held her ground. "You know what happened with my brother. What if something like that happens again? I've already made more mistakes than I can count."

"I won't ask you to bite me, Rukia." Ichigo's voice was soft now. He sounded almost hurt by the assumption. "I know the idea scares you, so I'd never ask. In a few years, maybe, but we have plenty of time to think about it."

"No," Rukia shook her head. "Never, Ichigo. I won't take your life and turn you into something like this."

"There's nothing wrong with you," Ichigo said firmly. "You're more human than most people I know."

_That's because most people you know aren't human... _Rukia thought caustically. "Vampires are the opposite of elves, not humans. Like day and night, or the sun and the moon... That's why Elisade protects life, and I destroy it."

"That's not true," Ichigo said, trying to snap the girl standing in front of him back to her usual self. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself already. You're being ridiculous."

Rukia looked up at him with wide eyes, surprised by his harsh tone. Then, her expression softened and she smiled.

"I'm going to go home now," she said, pressing a hand against Ichigo's cheek and pulling him in for a long kiss. Without breaking contact, she whispered, "I'll always be looking out for you. You'll never have to worry about your family's safety, I promise."

Rukia took a deep breath, savoring the feeling of the boy's soft, warm skin, and inhaling his sweet scent one last time before stepping back.

"Good bye, Ichigo."

"Rukia, wait!" Ichigo called out, fully understanding the permanence of the girl's farewell.

She looked over her shoulder briefly, watching him with that same look of amusement that she always had around him, but this time misty tears made her violet eyes even brighter.

.

The next morning, Ichigo woke up in a panic.

He went to his window, but it had been closed during the night. His room was empty.

_So it wasn't a dream... _

He noticed math homework still spread out on his desk and went to put his books back in his backpack. Rukia's perfectly shaped, old-fashioned script still covered his notes.

Ichigo tore the sheets of paper out of his notebook and crumpled them up before tossing them in the trash. He wasn't planning on going to school today anyway.

.

When Ichigo got to Rukia's house, he didn't bother knocking. Instead, he went around back to the porch.

He had almost expected to find her there, paintbrush in hand, looking just like she did days ago.

But, unsurprisingly, she wasn't.

He continued inside the house, figuring Rukia could have easily stopped him by now if she had wanted to.

The petite vampire was nowhere to be found, and knowing that he was alone in the old mansion was starting to make Ichigo uncomfortable. On his way back out, he paused to look at the Kuchiki family portrait.

Now that Ichigo better understood the stories behind the faces, they all looked slightly different.

Byakuya appeared as stern as ever, but he seemed almost tired. His grip on the other two vampires' shoulders was less comforting, and more fiercely protective. Ichigo realized now how scared he must have been of losing the only two people he loved in this world.

He could sympathize, now that he had lost Rukia himself.

The older woman, Hisana, had a tortured sort of look in her eyes, like she was constantly haunted. Ichigo noticed how gaunt her face and hands were, even though the artist had obviously tried to flesh her out a bit so she didn't look as sickly.

And then, there was Rukia, standing between the other two like an obedient daughter. Her mouth was tight, like was trying hard to look pleased to be with the only family she had left, but her sparkling eyes were terrified, screaming that she wanted to run from everything she had become.

Ichigo let himself fall back onto the couch next to the large fireplace and held his head in his hands.

His eyes were shut tight against the pain, so that he missed the newest painting, just behind him, of a lush field soaked in sunshine that strongly resembled the Kurosaki's old picnic spot.

.

Rukia never actually made it home that night. Instead, she considered confronting Elisade again, visiting both Chad and Renji for support, and going off to find her brother somewhere in the wastelands of Russia.

She ended up going back to Ichigo's house and spent a few hours watching him sleep, before closing the window that the fool had left open.

Then, she went to Urahara's, where the old man welcomed her with open arms and told her that, even though he had sent out multiple letters, he had yet to have a messenger manage to find Byakuya.

Her brother had no idea that Urahara would have completely forgiven him, had he seen any reason to be upset in the first place.

The blonde old man listened quietly as she told him everything that had happened between her and Ichigo. When she was finished, he seemed unsurprised by her interest in the boy, and wholeheartedly agreed with her idea that Elisade did not, in fact, have any romantic feelings for him.

Then, he distracted her by telling stories of her brother before he met Hisana, and of how Tessai was found so many years ago.

Rukia told him about how strong Jinta was, and how he was quickly maturing, the one small slip up aside. She also told him about the older werewolf who was acting as his mentor, and how he seemed reasonable enough, even though he sided with Elisade.

Urahara smiled and told her that her situation reminded him of one from over a hundred years ago that was similar to hers, but had a happier ending than Hisana and Byakuya's story. This particular human had managed to have quite a successful relationship with a creature, while still living out his normal lifespan, and in Japan, no less.

Rukia said that she appreciated the old man's consideration, but she had no intention of continuing her relationship with Ichigo, even if there was a legend that another creature had safely done it years ago.

Urahara merely shrugged and told her to suit herself.

Then, she told him that she was done eating humans, for a number of reasons. And that she hoped he would help her with the transition.

He agreed, naturally, and expressed his happiness. Then, he stood and insisted on going out and bringing a rabbit or raccoon back to lift her spirits.

Rukia consented, as long as she could tag along.

In the middle of the woods, hunting at the side of another vampire, Rukia finally felt like she was doing something right.

* * *

Oh boy :) Any guesses as to what's going to happen next?


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry this took so long! I can't decide on something for the next few chapters so I had to be careful about what I revealed in this one. I hope you all can forgive me :)

* * *

**Chapter 15**

"Ichigo?" Rukia's voice asked.

Ichigo whirled around to see Rukia standing on the back porch. He couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed her before.

"What are you doing here? It's dangerous," the dark haired girl stepped down off the porch, frowning.

"I just wanted to see you," Ichigo heard himself say.

Rukia smiled and took his hands in her own. "I'm always watching you, Ichigo. You have nothing to worry about."

He felt himself being pulled further into the garden. "Rukia, wait." Ichigo tried to break free, but the vampire's grip was too strong. "What are you doing?"

"I already told you," she said simply. "It's not safe here."

Bright purple eyes looked up at him, almost too cheerfully. She continued to drag him through the tall bushes, sweetly scented flowers falling around them. They smelled familiar...

_Orihime? _Ichigo wondered. The warm, summery scent reminded him strongly of the redheaded elf.

"What are these flowers?" Ichigo asked, catching a few petals in his hand.

"Elves have the sweetest blood of all creatures," Rukia said, suddenly grinning. "Even the tiniest drop can send young vampires and wolves into a frenzy."

"What do you mean?" The teen asked hesitantly. "Rukia?"

A large shadow built up behind the petite girl before taking a human shape. Large, white fangs sparkled, the only sign of light in the dark shadow that continued to grow around them.

"Be careful, Ichigo." Rukia whispered, her eyes turning black and hollow. "I told you it was dangerous here."

"Rukia!" Ichigo called out as she was enveloped by the darkness. She gave no response, and all Ichigo could hear was a sickening sound of strong jaws biting into soft flesh and splintering bones.

Then, the shadow appeared to turn its attention to Ichigo. A wicked smile now curled around the razor sharp teeth.

The creature was now approaching him, and Ichigo tried to run. He abruptly tripped over a clump of roots, the warm, flowery scent surrounding him.

The last thing Ichigo remembered before waking up was the hot breath of the shadow as its fangs pierced his skin, and the feeling that his full veins were about to burst painfully under his skin

.

"And how is your friend doing today?" Urahara asked as Rukia came through the front door with two fat raccoons.

Rukia's heart swelled at the old man's consideration. "He's doing well. I think he's been having nightmares the past few nights, but otherwise he seems fine."

Urahara nodded. "You know, it might be your presence that's affecting him."

Rukia frowned. "I've never heard of a human being so sensitive to other creatures."

"It's just a thought." The blonde man shrugged. "Thank you for breakfast. You're a fast learner."

"Only because you've been teaching me." The younger vampire smiled proudly.

She had been spending most of her days with Urahara, and looking in on Ichigo at night. She was always careful to avoid Elisade, but one night, Jinta caught her before she left Karakura and went back into the city.

He apologized for what had happened, and asked her about Urahara.

Rukia hoped they would reunite soon, but she settled for being their personal messenger until then.

"Rukia?" Urahara asked again, pulling the girl from her thoughts.

"Yes?" The younger vampire sat down at the table and turned her attention to the older man.

He sighed before pulling out a slip of paper. "Your brother sent this note this morning."

Rukia took the paper as it was handed to her, and noticed that it hand been sealed only with a small piece of tape.

"I've already read it, and I think it's time you returned to Karakura." Urahara said, almost regretfully. "You're welcome to stay of course, but I think you'll be more useful there."

Rukia tore the note open easily and gasped when she read her brother's hasty scrawl.

"Why don't you come with me?" She suggested. "I'm sure Elisade would be grateful for the extra presence."

The old man shook his head, smiling gently. "Karakura is too famous for its creature population as it is. Besides, I'm not as young as I once was. I'd only be in the way."

Rukia bit her lip, torn between respecting an elder's wishes and protecting an old friend.

"Promise you'll come if you're in trouble?"

"Of course," he said, soothingly putting hand on her shoulder. "Hopefully, we're all overreacting. It's entirely possible that nothing will come from this, and we'll all feel silly when it blows over."

"I'll feel a lot better when we know that for sure," Rukia said, leaving her meal uneaten on the table, as she left to go check on Ichigo and his family in Karakura.

.

Ichigo got ready for school slowly, still thinking about his dream. It had been about two weeks since he had last seen Rukia, but he had nightmares almost every night.

The shadow had been new, though, and he wondered if it was supposed to mean anything.

He groaned, feeling completely confused, and closed his window before going downstairs.

"Ichigo?" Yuzu asked timidly as he grabbed breakfast.

"What?"

"I was just wondering... Do you think Rukia will be coming back from her trip soon?"

Ichigo clenched his jaw, and averted his gaze to the ground. "I don't know, Yuzu. She hasn't seen her family in a long time, so she should stay as long as she wants."

"Oh," Yuzu said glumly. "I guess you're right."

Ichigo felt bad for being short with his younger sister, but couldn't think of anything else to say to make her feel better before heading out the door.

.

At school, Ichigo sat through his classes in silence, trying bravely not to fall asleep at his desk.

Every once and a while, Orihime would look back at him, but she never said anything. In fact, they hadn't spoken once since their argument two weeks ago.

Ichigo just stared blankly at her, and eventually she always turned around again, each time looking more disappointed.

When the time for lunch came, Ichigo didn't bother rushing. There was nothing waiting for him now, except for Chad and Renji, who were now as inseparable as ever.

"Ichigo, wait," Orihime called, catching him in the hallway.

The orange haired teen paused just outside the cafeteria and raised an eyebrow. He couldn't imagine what this girl would have to say to him now, after all the time that had passed in silence.

"I... I made you some cookies." She held up a small tin. "They're just normal chocolate chip; I know you didn't really like the pepper and honey ones I made last time."

Ichigo thought about flat out refusing the baked goods, or taking them and throwing them away in front of her. But, in the end, he simply took the box.

"Thanks," he said, making a genuine attempt not to sound entirely ungrateful. It still irritated him that this girl continued to force herself into his life, but he didn't say anything else before continuing into the cafeteria.

He dumped the tin in front of Chad and Renji as he sat down. "Just like I promised."

_Maybe this'll keep that idiot quiet for a few seconds..._

"You made cookies!" The younger teen exclaimed as if it were too good to be true. Ichigo rolled his eyes, but bit his tongue.

"I figured Orihime had given up on baking for you," Chad commented, sampling one of the cookies.

Ichigo shrugged. "We had a small disagreement. That's all."

Renji took a break from stuffing his face and looked down sheepishly, his mouth full of the chocolate chip treats.

"You want one?" The red haired boy asked between bites. "They're really good."

"No, thanks." Ichigo said, shaking his head. "I told Chad I'd give him anything Orihime made me, so you can help yourself."

Chad and Renji exchanged a long look, and when Chad frowned, Renji winced. Ichigo briefly wondered why the pair was acting weird, but then he remembered that they were always weird.

"Have you seen Rukia recently?" He asked Renji, unable to control himself.

"Uhh..." The redhead's mouth fell open in surprise, exposing clumps of cookie between his teeth. The pearly white incisors were abnormally large, Ichigo realized.

_How do I keep missing this kind of stuff? _He asked himself, feeling incredibly foolish for not noticing the boy's other side earlier.

Renji looked like he was about to say something, but then he glanced at Chad and shook his head abruptly, as if he had changed his mind.

"Nope," he said shortly. "I don't really even know her. Sorry."

Ichigo suppressed the urge to continue his questioning. Of course the younger boy would lie in front of others to keep his secret under wraps.

"Right." Ichigo nodded. "Just thought I'd check."

"It was nice of Orihime to make these for you," Chad changed the subject, taking another cookie.

"Yeah, I guess." Ichigo said, shrugging. He looked over at the elf, sitting with her friends at a table across the cafeteria.

Her warm honey eyes flickered over to him, and Ichigo looked away quickly, annoyed that she had caught him.

He hated the sad expression she had on her face. She looked just like Yuzu when one of her recipes turned out wrong or when one of her stuffed animals tore.

Ichigo frowned at the thought, but when his own amber eyes sought out the auburn haired elf again, her attention was already back on the conversation at her table.

The similarities between the two girls bothered Ichigo, but he couldn't quite figure out why.

_She's so clingy, she's started rubbing off on the twins already..._

.

_TO: Rukia Kuchiki_

_Aizen is passing through Japan._

_I do not believe he is searching for you, but stay alert. He would love to kill you to spite me. _

_I'd prefer you and Urahara leave Karakura until he is gone. _

_You can find me in China.  
Byakuya _

Rukia ran her fingers over the note nervously.

_Should I tell Elisade?_

Of course, the elf would want to know if another vampire was coming to Karakura. But, it was entirely possible that Aizen wouldn't even come close to the small town. And then Elisade would think she was just trying to cause a stir to prove her usefulness.

Rukia frowned and continued pacing through the garden, conflicted.

Aizen was an immensely strong vampire, older even than Byakuya. He had a reputation for being cruel and self-centered, torturing humans and werewolves before eating them, and destroying entire elf colonies, even though their blood has no real nutritional value.

While Rukia figured she could probably hold the more mature vampire off for a considerable amount of time, she entertained no fantasies about actually being able to kill him. Only her brother, and a select number of other creatures really stood any chance of that.

But, wherever Aizen was, she could not sense him, meaning that he was currently hundreds of miles away.

Rukia realized she would most likely be the first person to know if Aizen actually decided to come to Karakura. Even though Elisade was older, an elf can rarely sense a vampire before another vampire can.

She searched the town for familiar presences.

Ichigo and his sisters were still at school, perfectly fine. Neither of the wolves felt agitated, and they were all with Elisade at the high school. Even Dr. Kurosaki seemed to be going through his day as usual too.

Rukia wondered if she was worrying over nothing.

Then, just at the edge of her senses, the vampire felt the slightest twinge of an incredibly powerful energy. It was like the tiniest blip on a radar, and then it was gone.

Rukia tried to calm her nerves, telling herself that it was perfectly fine for Aizen to pass through the border of her perception. Japan was a relatively small area, and she couldn't take his every movement as a threat.

Still, Rukia couldn't quite shake the feeling that a ruthless creature with a taste for killing innocent creatures would pass up an opportunity like Karakura.

She folded the note back up and put it in her pocket. She had made up her mind: If she felt Aizen moving towards Karakura, she would tell Elisade, but not a second sooner. And in the meantime, she'd take special care to keep Ichigo's family and the other creatures in her mind constantly.

As for Ichigo, Rukia regretted that she might have to cause him more nightmares, but she would be spending the night watching him once again.

* * *

Reviews to make me smile?


	16. Chapter 16

Happy weekend! :) I think we'll have 2-3 more chapters before Glow comes to an end

* * *

**Chapter 16**

_If I could dream, I think I'd dream about sunshine..._

Rukia sighed, re-crossing her arms and shifting her weight so that she was more comfortable. She closed her eyes again and let her head rest against the side of the house. She was sitting just outside Ichigo's window, and had been for the past 7 hours.

It wasn't unpleasant though. The boy's rhythmic breathing was comforting, and it pulled her into the most restful state she was capable of achieving.

Occasionally, he would gasp and his heart would race, and Rukia worried that it really was her fault he was having nightmares. Fortunately, the sun was finally rising and the orange haired student would have to get up and go to school soon.

The street in front of the Kurosaki house was slowly soaked with light, and soon Rukia was enveloped in the sun's glow as well.

She ached to feel something, _anything_, at its presence, but what sparked emotion in her chest was the exact opposite of what she had been hoping for.

Chilling fear blossomed in her chest. Inside, Ichigo woke with a start, sending a searing jolt through her carefully attending mind. The swirling sensations were painful, but Rukia forced herself to come to terms with the situation.

Aizen was close, very close. And he had reached the middle the city without Rukia noticing.

The young vampire racked her brain, trying to find any trace of the man's journey into her range, but he had passed through undetected.

To Rukia's relief, Aizen's prescence was not continuing towards Karakura; it seemed like he had decided to stop in the city.

She worried for Urahara, but she knew the old man was stronger than he looked, and just as wily as ever.

Recovered from his initial alarm, Ichigo's heart had calmed. He was pacing around his room now, getting dressed and gathering his things for school

As much as it pained her, the dark haired girl understood that she would have to leave him to get her own backpack and school uniform. For the first time in weeks, Rukia would be going to school.

.

When Ichigo awoke that morning, he couldn't even remember what he had been dreaming about. He had felt an icy wave wash over him, and instead of drowning like he had expected, he opened his eyes and found himself in bed, soaked in a cold sweat.

He took a long moment to pull himself together before crawling out of bed and going about getting ready for school.

His window had been closed during the night, like it had taken to doing in the past two weeks. But, just as he was leaving his room, he could've sworn he saw the little vampire herself, jumping off his roof.

Ichigo tried to push the tiny sliver of hope away, but it wouldn't budge. His blood felt like it was boiling in his veins, eagerly pumping adrenaline through his body, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen.

.

"You really think he'll come here?" Elisade asked, her tone serious.

"It can't hurt to be cautious," Rukia answered evenly. "I just thought you should know."

"I see." The elf nodded thoughtfully. "I appreciate your coming here. I was ...concerned when I felt him so close this morning."

"I don't know how I missed him," Rukia said, half apologetic, half frustrated.

The two were sitting in Elisade's apartment. Rukia had showed up just as the redhead was leaving for school and confirmed her fear that the powerful vampire was, in fact, Aizen.

"I've never witnessed his powers myself," the female vampire continued. "But he's challenged my brother multiple times over the years. Aizen is much older than Byakuya, and possibly still stronger."

"Well, let's hope it doesn't come to a fight then," Elisade said, standing up. She glanced at the younger girl the way a mother looks expectantly at her child. "You're coming to school?"

Rukia nodded. "I want to stay as close to Ichigo as possible."

"I understand. That will be fine." She hesitated as they left the apartment. "Would you... keep an eye on Karin and Yuzu as well? I know you have classes with them."

"Of course," Rukia assured the other girl. She would have protected the twins with her life anyway. It seemed a strange request for the elf to make, but Rukia didn't question it.

It was odd enough already, she realized as they walked to the high school side-by-side, to feel such a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose with the one person in Karakura that she had actively disliked for 150 years.

.

Something did happen.

It wasn't what Ichigo had been expecting. As far back as he could remember, Orihime had never been late for anything, especially not school.

But this morning, about half way through their third class of the day, she appeared at the doorway. The redhead apologized innocently before taking her seat.

Then, she did something equally unusual.

When she turned around in her seat, she completely overlooked Ichigo, and focused her steady gaze on Chad. Her mouth straightened into a tight, worried line, and she gave the older boy a brief nod.

Chad seemed to understand the silent gesture, and he rested his chin on his hands, becoming unnervingly pensive.

The pair's uncharacteristic behavior had filled the whole room with tension, and it weighed heavily on Ichigo. The eagerness he had felt that morning had evaporated. He felt the same electricity flowing through his body, but now it resembled dread and anxiety more than anything else.

Ichigo never thought he would be so relieved to hear the lunch bell ring.

.

Both Chad and Orihime had practically flown from the classroom at the sound of the bell, but Ichigo decided to hold back. He wanted to distance himself from his friends' strange behavior.

When he finally arrived in the cafeteria, the sight he saw before him would have made him laugh if he hadn't already been so on edge.

Orihime, Chad, Renji, and... Rukia. They were all sitting together, at Ichigo's usual lunch table, talking as if it were completely normal.

He couldn't even begin to imagine the conversation they could be having.

Instead, he focused entirely on the petite girl currently occupying his seat.

"Rukia," Ichigo heard his voice say.

Bright violet eyes looked up at him. The other voices at the table hushed, and Rukia smiled timidly.

"Hey."

"That's all you have to say?" Ichigo asked, recovered from the shock. He sat down next to the petite girl, his eyes asking the questions he couldn't say out loud.

"Something's happened," she said quietly, taking his hands in her own.

Ichigo had never seen fear in her wide eyes before. He tightened his grip on her small hands, afraid that she might disappear again.

"What's going on?" He asked, looking at the other people at the table for the first time.

Renji's expression was furious, more like the earlier version of the troubled boy that Ichigo remembered. Chad's face gave nothing away, but Ichigo hadn't expected anything else from his best friend. Orihime's eyes were sad, and she seemed ashamed to have to answer for the situation.

_But, wait a minute..._

"What're you doing here?" Ichigo asked, looking at the tan boy sitting on the other side of the table.

Chad raised an eyebrow but seemed unfazed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I..." the orange haired boy paused. Could it really be just a coincidence? "This is a... 'special' problem, isn't it?"

Rukia's eyes lit up at his crass way of describing her condition. Her smile was a familiar grin of amusement and she nodded. "Yes, it has to do with another vampire."

"Then what..." Ichigo looked wonderingly at his oldest, closest friend. "What are you?"

The corners of Chad's mouth twitched uncomfortably, and he looked down when he spoke. "I'm a werewolf. I had hoped you would never have to find out."

Ichigo felt like someone had taken a wooden board and whacked him across the head. Now that he had heard it out loud, it seemed like the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying to refocus his brain. "I should've known."

Chad shook his head. "It's not your fault."

Then, something clicked. "When did you change?"

But, Ichigo already knew the answer. Ever since his mother had died, ever since Rukia had told him about werewolves, he had been pushing the idea away. He hadn't wanted to believe that his best friend could possibly be one of those mindless monsters.

"I did kill him," Chad said with a touch of emotion in his voice. "The wolf that attacked your mother and I."

Rukia had never told him that part. But, of course, now he understood why.

"And you stopped Renji in the woods that night, didn't you?"

The older boy didn't answer, but Ichigo understood his friend perfectly.

"Thanks," he said.

Chad's mouth curved into a slight smile and Ichigo was happy to have their friendship back to normal.

.

"Ichigo," Rukia said softly, pulling him back to the immediate problem.

"Right. What's the problem?" He asked.

The dark haired girl took a deep breath before starting. "Aizen is a vampire, older than my brother, who takes pleasure in being cruel and hurting others. He especially enjoys the blood of other creatures, and I think he's going to come here."

Ichigo frowned. "I thought you said only humans and werewolves had blood you could use."

"Elves have drinkable blood as well," Orihime took it upon herself to explain. "We don't have as much, and it's essentially worthless to blood-drinkers. But, it's supposed to have the best taste."

"Elves have the purest blood," Rukia added. "It's like... the sweetest nectar you can imagine."

Renji scowled at the tempting idea, and Orihime's expression was mildly annoyed.

"That's comforting," she said drily. "Anyway, we still need to decide how to handle this."

"We should just go after him now," Renji grumped.

Ichigo briefly wondered why the younger wolf was so agitated, but then he remembered that Rukia had mentioned werewolves' natural distaste for vampires.

"I think we're enough of a threat to dissuade him from coming here, as long as we stay together," Chad contributed.

Ichigo didn't have much to add, so he stayed quiet. Rukia frowned beside him and clenched his hands in her own possessively.

"We don't know when he'll attack, or even if he will at all," she pointed out. "He's clever. He'll wait for us to slip up as long as he has to."

"I think we should go ahead and remain separate," Orihime finally announced. "If Aizen hasn't noticed us yet, then clustering together would just draw his attention."

"But what about protecting everyone?" Rukia asked.

Orihime looked surprised by the question, or at least by the person asking it. "You mean three people in particular."

Rukia nodded. "If he gets close enough to smell them, he'll go after them too."

"You can't be the one to stay with Ichigo," the redhead said. "Aizen would kill him just to hurt you."

Ichigo looked over at the petite girl, expecting her to protest, but she remained silent. When she finally spoke, it reminded him of the last time she had conceded to the elf.

"You want me to leave Karakura?" She asked, her tone and expression guarded.

"No," Orihime responded quickly. "I want you to watch the girls with me. Chad and Renji will stay with Ichigo."

"Fine," Rukia complied.

Ichigo frowned. "Who are 'the girls'?"

Orihime hesitated uncertainly, and Rukia answered for her. "Karin and Yuzu have the same blood you do. It's nothing compared to an elf, but Aizen will still go after you if he notices how del- ... good you smell."

Ichigo took the information in. "I should be with them, then. I can't leave them by themselves."

Chad spoke firmly, "Orihime and Rukia are the best protection they could have right now. You would only attract more attention."

With that matter resolved, Orihime moved on. "Rukia, if Aizen does come closer, do you have a way to contact your brother? I'm sure he would come if you asked."

Rukia considered the idea. "Even for him, my range doesn't extend that far. I could try to send him a letter, but I'd have to go to the city."

Renji shifted anxiously at the thought of what was happening in the city, and Rukia looked at him sympathetically.

Orihime shook her head. "That would be too risky. There is another vampire in the city though, isn't there? I haven't seen him in years."

Rukia nodded. "Urahara has been living there for decades. I could probably send him a message though. I think he's close enough."

Just as Rukia was testing her range, and closing in on Urahara's presence, it flickered before fading completely.

She inhaled sharply; her heart fluttered in panic. She extended her senses further, searching for him again, but she could only feel Aizen. All feeling of the other vampire had disappeared into nothing.

Urahara was dead.

Rukia couldn't breathe. She wanted to tell the others, she wanted to go after the person who had done this, but one look at Renji forced her back to rational thought.

The redheaded wolf took longer, as his senses were duller, but soon enough he came to the same conclusion.

Orihime and Chad understood what had happened, one vampire had killed another, but they had no idea of the effect that it would have on the younger boy.

Renji stood up, snarling, clutching the table so hard it might break. A low growl was building in his chest and Rukia recognized that he was about to change, his rage was so strong.

But then, Chad grabbed his arm, yanking and twisting it violently. "Renji!" He barked, snapping the other boy out of his blind fury.

The immediate threat had passed, but Chad did not let go.

"We'll meet up with you in Chem," he said quietly, forcing the redhead to walk out of the cafeteria in front of him.

Orihime, Rukia, and Ichigo watched them leave. The elf looked at the vampire curiously.

"They were close," Rukia said by way of explanation. She was still numb herself, and Orihime must have understood, because she didn't press further.

"Karin has soccer practice after school, and Yuzu has sewing club. Stay with them in class, and I'll meet you on the roof after school," she said, reminding Rukia of the task at hand.

Rukia nodded silently. She was grateful when Ichigo put his arms around her, protecting her from her sadness and giving her strength.

Orihime refrained from commenting, and Rukia was grateful that the two summer-haired people were no longer arguing.

When the time came for everyone to move on to class, the elf gave the pair one last look, and Ichigo thought he saw the slightest glimpse of pride and fondness on her face before they all left the cafeteria.

* * *

Poor Urahara :( Sorry, guys


	17. Chapter 17

'Ello, loves :) I had my wisdom teeth taken out the other day and I'm feeling a lot worse than I expected. On the flip side, the meds the guy gave me make me feel much better, but also super loopy. So, I tried to proof read this a few times before posting, but if anything doesn't look right, please let me know so I can fix it.

Enjoy! This should answer a bunch of the questions you guys have been having!

* * *

**Chapter 17 **

It wasn't until they were walking home after school, leaving Yuzu and Karin alone, and out of reach, that Ichigo totally lost it.

"We have to go back," he said suddenly. He turned around mid-step, catching Chad and Renji by surprise.

"Ichigo!" the older boy called after him.

"Wait up, idiot," Renji said, hurrying to grab the orange haired teen.

"Let me go!" Ichigo pulled his arm away. " Are you crazy? We can't just leave them there."

"Orihime and Rukia are with them," Chad reminded him calmly.

"And what if something happens to them?" Ichigo threw his hands up in frustration. "We can't do anything just sitting at my house."

"This is what Orihime asked us to do," Chad said simply.

"Look, man," Renji reached a hand out again, but this time he laid it firmly on Ichigo's shoulder. "I wanna kill this guy, even more than you do. But we'd just get our asses kicked if we had to protect you humans while fighting. You need to stick to the plan."

Ichigo's jaw tightened stubbornly. Every part of his being wanted to be with the girls, with his sisters and Rukia, but he knew Renji was right.

"Is there anyone else?" He finally asked.

Renji raised an eyebrow in confusion, but Chad understood. He shook his head.

"No. Just me, Renji, Orihime, and Rukia. And no one else smells like you and your sisters." Chad looked at him meaningfully. "We're doing the best we can."

_From what I've learned so far, that hasn't always been enough..._

Ichigo clenched his fists at his side and refused to voice his thoughts. It would only hurt his best friend.

"Fine. Let's go." Ichigo allowed himself to be lead back to his own house. At least there, he could make sure his father was safe and get ready to keep his sisters home until the danger was over.

.

"Rukia?" Orihime asked tentatively.

"Yes?" Rukia answered.

The vampire and elf were sitting, back-to-back, on the roof of the school. They had a perfect view of the soccer field from their position, and, just below them, the sewing club was busy working away.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For staying here. For protecting Yuzu and Karin."

Rukia rolled her eyes. "I'm not a monster, you know. Even I can't stand to see such innocent people attacked."

Orihime smiled to herself. "I know. But I'm still grateful."

They spent a long moment in silence before the elf spoke again.

"You're really in love with Ichigo?" The way she said it sounded more like a statement than a question, but Rukia still nodded.

"I think so," she answered.

"Why?"

Rukia frowned. "What kind of question is that? I just am."

"You can't think of anything?" She asked again.

The vampire sighed. "I don't know," she shrugged uncomfortably. "It's strange to talk about."

_Especially with you..._ Rukia added silently.

"Try?"

"I guess... Everything," she said. "I like the way he carries himself, and the way he smiles. He's kind, and protective, and... He was never really scared of me. Even when I could've killed him."

"You're sure it's not because of his blood?" Orihime asked.

"You've made your opinion quite clear." Rukia frowned. "But, whether you believe me or not, I'm not going to bite Ichigo. Ever. I won't make the same mistake as my brother."

"You misunderstand me," the redhead said gently. "I'm sure you've learned a lot from Byakuya."

"Then why does this bother you so much?" Rukia finally asked. "Are you in love with Ichigo yourself?"

She felt Orihime tense up behind her, before relaxing into gentle laughter.

"Oh my," the older girl said, smiling, "I love Ichigo more than I could ever say."

Rukia felt her heart pound at the news. _Well... it did seem obvious..._ Still, she had always thought the elf was above things like jealousy. "Then, you must understand how I feel."

This made Orihime laugh again. "You have no idea. But not for the reasons you think." The elf sighed thoughtfully. "Is there any way I could convince you to stay away from Ichigo after all this is over?"

Rukia tried to be honest with herself. No matter how she thought about it, there was nothing that would keep her from Ichigo, as long as he would have her.

"Only if he wanted me to," she answered.

"Well, then, I guess I should go ahead and tell you," Orihime said reluctantly. "Byakuya will notice as soon as he meets him. Besides, you'd probably figure it out soon enough anyway. How old are you now?"

"I've been a vampire for a century and a half," Rukia said, wondering what the elf was going on about.

Orihime made a curious sound. "I'm surprised you haven't realized already."

The redhead never continued and Rukia finally grew impatient enough to ask, "Realized what?"

"Shortly after you and your sister left Karakura with Byakuya, I found myself in a similar situation to yours. Of course, as an elf, I thought that I'd be more successful in a relationship with a human..." Orihime paused at the painful memory. "His name was Uryuu."

Rukia could hear her teary smile as the girl continued, "He was amazing. You two would've gotten along well. He was incredibly smart, and even though I thought I blended in with the other humans, he noticed me right away. We were never apart after that.

"I never imagined it was even possible," Orihime chuckled lightly to herself. "You never hear stories of two different creatures having children; even werewolves know better than to curse the next generation. But, it happened. Of course, elves live so much longer, Uryuu was near the end of his life when our baby was born."

"You... The child was only half-elf?" Rukia asked in surprise.

Orihime nodded somberly. "It was hard, hiding him from people who would hurt him if they found out. But I am so sorry that you will never be able to experience it yourself."

Rukia absorbed the information slowly. She had always thought that werewolves and humans were the only ones who could interbreed. But, apparently, it was only vampires who could not reproduce.

"We named him Ryuken. He never knew he was anything besides human, and Uryuu died just before his 5th birthday. It was the first time I had been alone since we had met." Orihime wrapped her arms around herself comfortingly. "But, he had left me with Ryuken. And that was more than I could have ever asked for.

"He aged more slowly than a human would, but he still had a normal life. He got married, and had his own child, a beautiful baby girl named Masaki." Orihime turned to look over her shoulder at Rukia, smiling warmly. "That was Ichigo's mother."

The dark haired girl's mouth fell open. "So then, you're Ichigo's..."

"Great-grandmother," Orihime answered promptly. "As well as Yuzu's and Karin's, though Karin is the only one who looks anything like Uryuu."

Rukia thought back to all the times she had noticed something different about the Kurosaki children: the way Yuzu so closely resembled Orihime, the way Ichigo was so unnaturally sensitive to other creatures, and the way Karin had smelled so delicious to her on the first day of school.

_How could I not have noticed it before..._

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Orihime said kindly, as if reading her thoughts. "If you had been older, you would've noticed it right away."

"Urahara knew," Rukia said, as it occurred to her. _That's why he told me that story. _"And Byakuya will be able to tell. And so will Aizen..."

The elf sighed regretfully. "Yes. I'm afraid so."

"Does Chad know?" The vampire asked.

"I've never told him," Orihime shook her head. "But he suspects. He's always had a way of figuring out more than I tell him. I don't think he's said anything to Renji though."

Rukia nodded thoughtfully, taking the information in. She didn't want to ask the painful question, but she couldn't help herself. "When Masaki died..."

"I was gone." The ethereal creature shut her eyes painfully. "I felt the wolf change just outside Karakura, but I couldn't make it back in time."

When her crystalline eyes opened, they were full of tears. Rukia stared back into the familiar amber orbs, and prompted her silently.

"I wanted to visit Uryuu's grave," she said quietly. "His family had wanted to bury him near them, and I couldn't refuse. Until then, I had been constantly watching our family... I thought I could leave, just for a few days..."

"Ichigo will forgive you," Rukia comforted the other girl. "Yuzu and Karin already have."

"I can barely face them, even today. And how can I ever give Chad back everything he's lost because of my mistakes?"

Rukia bit her lip hesitantly. "Protecting his best friend might be a start."

Orihime blinked in surprise, before giving the girl a small smile. "I guess you're right. Do you really think we'll be able to defeat Aizen if it comes to a fight?"

The petite vampire found herself smiling back. "Well, if you're as strong as I remember, and with two werewolves on our side, I think we have a pretty good chance."

The elf hummed thoughtfully, relaxing back against Rukia. Her warm, flowery scent swirled soothingly around the younger girl, and Rukia found herself leaning into the other girl as well, in a strangely comfortable gesture of friendship.

She only wished that she believed her own reassuring words.

.

"Where is he now?" Ichigo asked. Because his senses were not nearly as mature, Renji looked at Chad for an answer as well.

All three boys were sitting at the Kurosaki's dining table, leaning forward in anticipation. Dr. Kurosaki had given them a strange look when he came home from work, but he seemed to know better than to comment.

He had spent the last hour in the basement, working on some sort of new medicine.

Chad concentrated for a moment before exhaling. "I think he's still far away. I haven't noticed him move."

"You think?" The orange haired boy asked again.

"I'd like to see you do better," Renji snarled, defending the older wolf. "It's harder than you think. Besides, the girls are practically ancient and even they can't pin him down."

The corners of Chad's mouth twitched, but he didn't comment. Instead, he said, "I'll ask Rukia."

He was silent for another long moment. Then, he frowned. "I think she's trying to say that he's in the city."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Did she send you a shadow of a crappy looking rabbit?"

Renji looked mildly confused, but Chad just shook his head. "It was a lot of buildings. And it actually wasn't too bad."

_Maybe the midget's gotten better... _Ichigo thought to himself. Still, it bothered him that his little vampire was so far away.

Fortunately, soccer practice should almost be over. The girls would be heading home any minute. Ichigo was looking forward to having all of his family together in one place where he could protect them too.

Then, as if on cue with his thoughts, there was a sound at the door.

Ichigo felt adrenaline shoot through his veins, tensing every muscle in his body. He had chalked it up to eagerness for seeing his sisters and Rukia, but Chad and Renji seemed to be having the same reaction.

There was a loud knock at the door and before Ichigo could register what had happened, Renji shot out the back door and flew through the Kurosaki's backyard. Chad moved to go after him but stopped short, unsure of what to do.

Dr. Kurosaki came hurrying up the stairs, catching both boys' attention.

"I'll get it!" The doctor exclaimed. "It's one of my friends from work."

Ichigo watched his father rush to the door, but before his hand had even touch the knob, Chad was practically throwing him up the stairs to his own room. He shut the door behind them but stayed there, as if the door might fall down if it wasn't propped up. He motioned for Ichigo to be quiet, but the younger boy was in such shock that there was no danger of him speaking.

They could hear the front door open and close downstairs.

Chad's muscles were so tight under his tan skin that it looked like he might explode. He was fighting to close his mouth that had curled into a snarl, and Ichigo wondered if he was going to witness his best friend change into a beast right in front of him.

"Please, have a seat!" Dr. Kurosaki greeted his friend warmly. "I'm sorry you won't get to meet my son. He was just here with a friend, but I guess they went somewhere.

"That's quite all right," a deep voice spoke in a sickeningly friendly tone. "I'm almost sure I heard three voices in here though."

Ichigo's heart raced in fear, but Chad stayed rigidly still.

_**Don't move, **_he ordered. Ichigo took a deep breath and prepared himself for the fight that was sure to come.

"What's that?" Ichigo's father asked distractedly. "Oh, I guess you're right. I did see three of them in here. You always did have an incredible ear, Dr. Aizen. I don't know how you do it."

"Years of practice," the voice said through a large grin. "Years and years of practice."

* * *

Dun dun dun... !


	18. Chapter 18

Oh my goodness. This is story is turning out way longer than it was supposed to. I'm really not trying to delay the fight; it'll be in the next chapter. Promise :)

* * *

**Chapter 18**

"How..." Orihime gasped. "How did he get so close?"

"I don't know. I didn't feel him until just now." Rukia stood, frowning.

She watched Karin and the rest of the soccer team file off the field. The girls would be heading home soon. Rukia hoped they wouldn't have to stop them.

_And Renji... What are you doing?_

"Chad hasn't changed yet. Do you think that means they're ok?" The elf asked.

Rukia shrugged. "He would've said something if they were in trouble." The petite vampire paused abruptly. "Aizen's leaving..."

Orihime looked at her in confusion, trying to sense what she was referring to. "Where is he going?"

"He's..." Rukia frowned in concentration. Aizen had left Chad, Ichigo, and Dr. Kurosaki all unharmed in the house.

Then, she recognized the vampire's presence heading towards Renji. He was still in werewolf form, deep in the woods.

"Oh, no," Orihime put a hand to her mouth. "Should we-"

The pair felt Aizen and Renji meet. Seconds later, the redheaded boy's presence was gone.

Renji was dead.

"We need to go." Rukia blinked the hot tears away and forced herself to walk forward. "The twins are leaving now. They'll be safest at home."

"Of course," Orihime nodded, sniffing quietly.

"Rukia," she started once they were following Yuzu and Karin on their way home. "You have to try to reach Byakuya."

The vampire looked over at the other girl. "I don't know if it'll work..."

Orihime threaded her slender fingers in-between Rukia's and shot her a determined look. "We have to try. I'll help as much as I can."

Rukia took a deep breath and they slowed to a stop. "All right." She glanced one last time at the twins walking in front of them, but they still had no idea they were being followed.

The vampire closed her eyes tightly, letting darkness wash over her. Because elves get their powers from light, the opposite of vampires, Orihime was little help. But, with the girl's aid, Rukia found that her range extended even farther, and everything around them seemed much clearer.

She reached out in the direction where she knew her brother was. He was still too far away for her to feel completely, but she threw out shadows of Aizen's profile as far as she could, hoping he might catch one, or feel her urgency.

Finally, when Rukia couldn't reach any farther, she opened her eyes. Orihime's amber eyes looked at her expectantly, but the dark haired girl shook her head.

"I don't think he got it. I didn't hear anything back from him."

"Well, it was worth a shot," the redhead said, releasing her grip. "Let's catch up with the girls. Aizen is still somewhere in the woods."

"Right," Rukia agreed, trying to appear more confident than she felt. _Brother... Please, if you can hear me, I need your help..._

.

"Dad? Who was that?" Ichigo asked.

Dr. Kurosaki looked up at the two boys and smiled. "There you two are! I was hoping to introduce you to Dr. Aizen but you ran away before I could."

Ichigo almost rolled his eyes at the irony. Of course his father would be friends with the blood-thirsty vampire that wanted to kill them all.

"Is he coming back?" Chad's low voice questioned.

The doctor looked surprised at the quiet boy but he shook his head. "No, he was just stopping by to look at some of my work. He's a very busy man, you know."

"Oh, we know," Ichigo muttered grumpily.

Chad hadn't told him anything about it, but he was pretty sure that something was going on with the other werewolf that had bolted out the door earlier.

"I'm going to get something for dinner," Dr. Kurosaki announced. "Karin and Yuzu will be home soon."

"No!" Ichigo almost shouted.

Chad raised an eyebrow and Ichigo caught himself.

"I mean... Yuzu really wanted to make that special vegetable and rice thing, remember? You should just stay here and we'll go out tomorrow," the teen improvised.

"Did she really say that?" Isshin scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Oh well, you're probably right. Will you be staying for dinner?"

"If that's all right." Chad nodded.

"Of course it's all right with me!" Dr. Kurosaki laughed before heading back downstairs. "It's Karin you're going to have to watch out for."

Ichigo and Chad exchanged confused glances before the front door opened again, revealing the Kurosaki twins.

"Ichigo! We made the cutest flower pattern in sewing club today!" Yuzu exclaimed excitedly, putting her things down in the living room.

Karin shuffled in behind her sister, obviously tired and sweaty from soccer practice. She paused by the doorway and took in the two figures standing by the stairs.

"Oh... Hey," she said quietly, giving Chad a small smile before quickly skirting around him and up the stairs.

"Hey, Ichigo!" She called once she was at the top.

The orange haired boy looked up just in time for a muddy soccer ball to connect with his face.

"Can you put that in the back yard for me? Thanks!" Karin said sweetly before disappearing into the bathroom to take a shower.

Ichigo gingerly peeled the ball from his face. "What was that about?" he asked in annoyance.

"I'm sorry," Yuzu tried to hide her smile behind her hands. "You really should have seen that coming though."

"I didn't do anything!" Ichigo protested.

The younger girl's amber eyes sparkled in amusement and she whispered conspiratorially, "Ichigo! You know Karin has a crush on Chad. How could you invite him over when she's just getting home from practice?"

"Wait... really?" Ichigo scratched his head. "Did you know about this?" He looked at his best friend suspiciously.

Chad put his hands up innocently, but amusement was apparent on his face.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Why can't you two like guys your own age?"

"Like how Rukia likes you?" Yuzu retorted, making Chad chuckle.

"Oh, for the love of- Rukia is... mature, for her age, ok?" Ichigo scowled. "Both of you are too young to date anyone. Ever. Especially my friends."

"Whatever you say, Big Brother," Yuzu said sweetly. "I told you, you should invite her to play soccer with you more."

Ichigo made a loud, frustrated noise in the back of his throat as the strawberry blonde went into the kitchen to make dinner.

"The girls are here," Chad said quietly, pulling Ichigo out of his deep annoyance with the world.

He opened the door to let the vampire and elf in. The four stood in silence for a long moment before Orihime sighed.

"He'll find out eventually," Rukia said, looking at Orihime and Chad before facing Ichigo. "Renji is dead. Aizen is still in the woods somewhere. Probably waiting for us to leave."

Ichigo felt his mouth drop open. "Why..."

Then, he stopped himself. He knew why Chad hadn't told him right away.

Light footsteps hopped down the stairs and they all turned to see Karin enter the living room. She frowned, looking very similar to her brother, at the unexpected attention.

"Can I help you?" She snapped.

"How was practice, Karin?" Orihime asked gently as the younger girl made her way to the kitchen.

"Fine." The tomboy shrugged. "Hey, Rukia. Let me know if you need to catch up on the Bio notes."

Now that she knew, Rukia couldn't believe she had never noticed how maternal Orihime acted towards all the Kurosaki children. She smiled at the offer. "Thanks."

"Dinner's ready!" Yuzu called once Karin had set out the plates.

Dr. Kurosaki joined them, taking his usual place at the head of the table. Rukia, of course, insisted that she had already eaten, while Orihime praised every bite of the meal. Chad kept his eyes mostly on his plate, probably thinking about Renji, and Karin kept her eyes mostly on Chad.

Even though he was completely terrified, Ichigo felt oddly grateful to have this strange assortment of people sitting at his dinner table.

.

After dinner, everyone retreated to their respective rooms. Chad stood in the corner of Ichigo's bedroom and Orihime took a seat at his desk.

Much to his embarrassment, Rukia seemed to have no problem making herself comfortable on Ichigo's bed. He was sitting at the head of the bed and the petite girl leaned back against his legs, ankles crossed.

"So we're just going to sit here until something happens?" Ichigo finally asked.

Orihime exchanged glances with Rukia before shrugging. "This is all we can do. There's still a chance he'll move on and leave us alone."

"Or," Rukia added, "he's waiting for the sun to go down, when he'll be most powerful."

"Won't your powers be stronger too?" Ichigo asked the vampire.

"Yes, but mine won't," Orihime answered for her, before looking at Chad. "I don't really know how werewolves' powers are affected."

"We are strongest when the moon is full," the large boy answered. "We respond to darkness, like vampires."

"I suppose that makes sense," the elf nodded. "There's supposed to be a full moon tonight, isn't there?"

Chad nodded and the group fell into silence again. Rukia tapped her fingers along Ichigo's shin impatiently.

"I'm going to check on Karin," she said finally.

"Is that a good idea?" Orihime raised an eyebrow as the younger girl stood up.

Rukia shrugged. "You have something else in mind?"

She took the redhead's silence as permission and left the room.

Less than a second later, Ichigo felt Orihime and Chad start. The werewolf was almost out the door after Rukia, when she reappeared.

"She's gone..." she said quietly.

Ichigo's heart dropped. _Yuzu!_

As if reading his mind, Orihime pushed past the other creatures and flew to the younger twin's door. She didn't bother knocking first; instead, she pulled the door open to reveal another empty room.

The redhead looked around in confusion but no one else seemed to have an answer.

"We should check on your father," Rukia reminded him before going downstairs.

The group went down to the basement where the doctor had been working all afternoon.

"Dad!" Ichigo cried out in concern. Dr. Kurosaki was lying face down on the ground in the middle of his lab.

"He's just unconscious," Orihime said soothingly. She knelt down beside him and turned the older man onto his back. She pressed her hands against his head and chest and focused intently.

A soft glow emanated around her hands before fading away as she stood up. "Aizen knocked him out for a few hours, but he should be fine when he wakes up."

"Aizen was here?" Ichigo asked, growing more and more furious with this stranger every moment.

The redhead nodded. "How does he keep getting past us?"

"I..." Rukia frowned. "I don't know. Unless this is some result of his powers? But I've never seen anything like this before."

"You think he can mask his presence?" Chad asked. "Is that even possible?"

The vampire put her hands up wordlessly.

"Well, where is he now?" Ichigo interrupted. "You can find him now, can't you?"

Rukia looked around the room, trying to catch even the slightest trace of the other vampire.

"He's just outside of town," Orihime said, stepping forward. "I can feel Yuzu and Karin. They're alive, but he's knocked them out as well."

"Let's go!" Ichigo said, urging his friends forward.

"Wait, Ichigo," Rukia put a hand out. "You should stay here. Orihime and I will get the twins."

She looked at Chad and Orihime for approval. "Chad should watch Ichigo and his father."

Chad didn't protest, but Orihime looked uncertainly from the vampire to the orange haired boy.

"That doesn't make sense," Ichigo protested. "You said yourself that he's stronger than both of you. You need all the people you can get."

"I'm not putting you in danger!" Rukia shot back.

"He has my sisters!" Ichigo fumed.

"He wants you, Ichigo," Rukia said, meeting his gaze evenly. "You'll be walking right into his trap if you come."

"He can have me if he'll let Yuzu and Karin go!" Ichigo countered. "I'm not afraid of this guy."

Rukia looked to Orihime for support before shaking her head. "No. There is no way. You're staying here."

"All right," the elf said quietly, almost unheard by the others.

"You're being ridicu-Wait, what?" Ichigo looked at the redhead hopefully.

Orihime let out a long sigh. "You can come along. We don't have time to continue this argument. Maybe if we distract Aizen, Ichigo can get the twins."

Rukia looked at the other girl in shock. "Are you serious? Elisade, think about what you're saying. This is-he's your..."

The elf cut her off with a sharp look. "Aizen will kill him anyway if we don't defeat him first. We stand a better chance if we confront him together."

Rukia didn't argue but her eyes were furious. She looked up at the boy standing next to her. "Just... don't die, ok?"

Ichigo gave the girl a small smile before kissing the top of her head. "I'll be fine. I have you, remember?"

Slightly reassured, the petite vampire grinned. "All right. Let's go."

The four left the house and followed behind Orihime as she led them to the edge of town. They walked through a stretch of forest before coming to an open field, illuminated by the bright glow of moonlight.

He had yet to see the powerful vampire, but Ichigo had an uneasy feeling they'd be running into him soon.

"Ichigo," Rukia whispered urgently. She grabbed his hand to get his attention. "Yuzu and Karin are behind that tree, but don't move until one of us gives you the signal."

Ichigo followed her line of sight to a large tree near the edge of the field. He nodded. "Just say when."

"Orihime," Chad started, but the elf silenced him by putting a hand up. Ichigo noticed the clouds dissipating overhead, leaving the sky completely clear.

"Better?" The elf asked, smiling.

_So that's how her powers work... _Ichigo thought to himself. He was actually quite impressed.

"That will do wonderfully," a deep voice said pleasantly.

A nervous shudder shook Ichigo's body but he forced himself to stand up straight.

Rukia dropped his hand and hissed threateningly, stepping forward to stand by the redheaded elf.

"Oh, my," the man was in the middle of the clearing now, standing in plain sight. "You must be the younger Kuchiki, then. What a nice surprise."

"Just be on your way, Aizen. We'll let you pass without a fight," Orihime said calmly.

The older vampire turned to look at the person who had addressed him. He looked just like Ichigo had pictured a stereotypical vampire, with his long brown hair and dark clothes.

"Where's your hospitality, elf? You must know that I am very hungry after my long journey here."

"There's nothing for you here," Orihime replied coolly.

"I'll be the judge of that," Aizen said, grinning wickedly to reveal the same set of sharp teeth from Ichigo's dream.

Before Ichigo had even registered movement, Chad was charging towards the vampire in wolf form.

Aizen easily knocked the animal aside with one arm, but it appeared that the attack had just been a diversion. Thick, green plants were growing up and around his legs, rooting him in place, courtesy of Orihime, and Rukia had already crossed the distance between them.

Her arms easily wrapped around his neck but before she could do any real damage, the bigger vampire had broken free of the plants' hold and twisted to throw her off.

"You think you're the only ones who can communicate in your minds?" Aizen laughed. "You're more immature than I thought!"

Ichigo had been frozen in place since the beginning of the fight, terrified that one of his friends might get hurt. But now, he began slowly edging towards the tree where Rukia had said his sisters were.

Rukia, Orihime, and Chad were working together better than he had ever imagined.

But, Ichigo worried, if this vampire could really read their thoughts, would it be enough?

* * *

Who's excited?

This girl. This girl is SUPER excited :)


	19. Chapter 19

I'm super pleased with this chapter :) I hope it's everything you've been hoping for! Also, I didn't realize until I was proof-reading, but this is actually a pretty suitable ending. Otherwise, there'd be one more chapter. What do you guys think? Should I leave it like this or write another chapter about what happened afterward?

* * *

**Chapter 19**

_"You think you're the only ones who can communicate in your minds?" Aizen laughed. "You're more immature than I thought!"_

Rukia regained her footing and cursed herself for being so ignorant. She should have been prepared for any power this vampire might have. Instead, she put her friends in incredible danger by trying to communicate with them using her shadows and Chad's telepathy.

As she expected, he went after Orihime, the only one left standing. Rukia got ready to intervene but Chad covered the distance in one deft leap, putting himself between Aizen and Orihime.

Rukia decided to give her own powers a chance and created a large shadow in Aizen's sight that would cover everything behind Chad, hopefully giving Orihime and Ichigo a chance to get away.

The large wolf reared back and knocked heavily into Aizen with his long front claws. Rukia motioned to Orihime and the elf took her signal, running with Ichigo to the other side of the clearing.

A sickening snap pulled the younger vampire's attention away from the pair and back to the fight.

Chad had gotten Aizen on the ground, but Rukia watched in horror as the older man grabbed the wolf's forearms, pulling them apart and back until the slender bones broke in half, tearing through the dark fur.

Aizen crawled out from under the animal as it howled in pain.

Rukia knew she had to do something, and quickly, to give Orihime a chance to reach Chad and heal him.

Her eyes were still black and she used the darkness to cover Chad now as well. Aizen barely saw her coming before her foot connected with his head.

He seized her ankle and tried to throw her off but Rukia used her small form to her advantage, reaching back and catching hold of his shirt. She ducked under his next grab and hooked her elbow around his neck.

She heard his neck crack under the pressure but, as he was no longer human, Rukia knew she would have to rip his head off entirely to actually kill him.

Before she could manage that though, the vampire got hold of one of her arms. Rukia cried out in pain as he pulled the limb from its socket, effectively releasing her grip. She fell to the ground in front of him.

Aizen picked her up by her neck and placed his index finger at the bottom of her rib cage.

Over his shoulder, Rukia could see Orihime had managed to get Chad back on his feet. The wolf was still unsteady, but his bones had been mended.

They were too far away to help her now, but the thought of her friends surviving this encounter was a relief to Rukia. She braced herself for what she knew what coming.

"They say the heart continues beating, even after it's been ripped from the body," Aizen whispered, pushing his finger into her chest. "I wonder if that's true for vampires as well."

Rukia couldn't scream; the pain was too unbearable. She felt his strong hand moving through her body, about to reach up through her lungs, when the pressure suddenly disappeared.

She collapsed on the ground and fought not to lose consciousness. A blur of red passed in front of her face and she assumed it was blood, until she remembered that vampires didn't bleed.

Rukia looked up to see Renji, in wolf form, tearing away at Aizen's face and chest.

_Of course... _Rukia thought dumbly to herself. _If Aizen could hide his own presence, why wouldn't he be able to do the same to others?_

Aizen shouted in fury and finally managed to get a hand around each of the red wolf's jaws.

Rukia reached a hand out, but it was too late. The powerful vampire ripped Renji's lower jaw away, opening his mouth 180 degrees with a bloody crack.

"I should've killed you the first time," Aizen hissed.

The furry body tensed in pain and the man stood up, twisting the animal's head until the body finally went limp.

Aizen looked at his handiwork proudly. "You're lucky your little friend just wouldn't stay dead," he said, grinning at Rukia. "But there's no one to help you anymore."

Chad let out a furious howl and charged. Losing Renji for the second time must have been twice as painful.

But the vampire was ready for him. Aizen easily jumped over the wolf's large form and landed safely on the other side. Then, he grabbed one of Chad's back legs, pulling it out from under him.

He tossed the wolf carelessly into the tree at the edge of the clearing. "You next?" Aizen asked, looking at Orihime.

Rukia watched Chad fall to the base of the tree with a loud thud, but he got up quickly and seemed unharmed. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ichigo still making his way carefully to the tree where Chad had fallen.

_Ichigo, please hurry..._

.

Ichigo shielded his face with his arms when Chad came hurtling towards him.

He had gotten a clear view of the twins, but his heart sank as he saw the huge wolf crash through the branches before getting up.

Yuzu and Karin had been in the same tree...

Chad got up and left quickly in an effort to keep all attention away from Ichigo and his mission. Much to his relief, Ichigo could see the girls again. They were lying on the ground now, but they didn't seem anymore hurt than before.

Ichigo continued his trek around the clearing. He'd be within sprinting distance any minute now.

A whimper from Orihime across the field caught his attention and he saw that Aizen had her in a tight grip. She squirmed and struggled but the elf's strength was no match for a vampire's.

Chad had almost reached the pair, but Ichigo saw a flash of the monster's bright white teeth.

"No!" Ichigo shouted. Regardless of their past, he couldn't let the girl be killed by this cruel vampire. "Orihime!"

The redhead dropped to the ground just as Chad sunk his teeth into the vampire's shoulder. Ichigo's heart jumped for joy. Chad would finish him off and everyone would be safe.

But, when Orihime's eyes met his, Ichigo realized her hand was over her neck, and her crystalline gaze told him that he had just done the one thing she had been trying to prevent.

Aizen wrestled with Chad for a long moment until the vampire managed to put a foot through the wolf's chest. The large brown animal let out a low whine and settled onto the ground, blood pooling around him and staining his fur.

"You stupid boy," the vampire grinned, looking directly at Ichigo even though they were on opposite sides of the field. "You thought I forgot about you?"

Ichigo's first instinct said _RUN_. And he did.

He was within an arm's reach of Karin when he felt the vampire finally close in on top of him. He closed his eyes and tried to shield the girls with his own body. But the impact never came.

When Ichigo looked up, Aizen was pressing Rukia into the side of the tree so hard that bark was splintering and falling around the three humans on the ground.

Rukia had a firm grip on Aizen with her good arm and her legs were scrambling to find hold as well. Both of their eyes were hollow and Ichigo could see Aizen turn his face from side to side frantically.

"What are you doing?" He asked angrily. "Stop it!"

His free hand connected with Rukia's head and his fingers dug into the side of her face.

"Rukia!" Ichigo called, trying to reach the vampires.

Rukia tried to turn away from the long fingers pushing into her cheek and left eye, but her discomfort was clear. Aizen responded abruptly to something only he and Rukia could see, and the younger vampire quickly ducked out of his grip.

Unfortunately, his hand reclaimed its previous spot at the gaping hole in her chest.

The girl's gasp turned into choking pain.

"Rukia!" Ichigo cried out again. He was so close... Almost there...

And then, the pair was gone.

Ichigo couldn't believe it. Both Rukia and Aizen had disappeared in blur.

A loud crash on the other side of the clearing caught Ichigo's attention and he realized where they must have gone. He climbed back out of the tree and jumped to the ground.

In the middle of the field, stood a tall, slender figure. This man had long, flowing black hair, and Ichigo recognized Rukia curled protectively against his chest.

_Byakuya Kuchiki..._

Ichigo couldn't believe that _this _was Rukia's brother. He was infinitely more intimidating than he had seemed in the portrait, yet he remained the epitome of elegance.

It wasn't until Aizen got back up that Ichigo realized he was gawking ...and wasting time.

He scooped one sister up in each arm and started running back the way he had come, planning to reach Chad and Orihime.

Aizen was cursing furiously now, but Ichigo couldn't make out his exact words over the sound of his own heavy breathing.

He watched the evil vampire charge the other two at an incredible speed. With expert grace, Byakuya set Rukia down on her feet gently, before meeting Aizen in a hand-to-hand struggle.

Orihime had finally recovered enough to stand and was now making her way towards to the vampire trio. Byakuya untangled himself from the intimate combat once he noticed the redhead and, after grabbing hold of the other vampire's shoulders, threw Aizen over his head through the air.

Aizen crashed solidly into the tree where Ichigo had just rescued his sisters. The orange haired boy felt immensely grateful that he had decided to move the girls.

The elf pushed her hands towards the sky and Ichigo was shocked to see the old tree grow rapidly, entangling Aizen in its sturdy body. The man easily broke his undamaged arm free but, before he could make another move, Byakuya was on him.

When the beautiful raven-haired vampire lightly stepped back on the ground, Aizen's head was in his slender arms.

.

"Rukia. Are you all right?"

Rukia tried to blink away the fog clouding her eyes. Her chest hurt. The pain was crippling, but fortunately, the little vampire realized she was already lying down.

"Rukia?" The sweet voice asked again.

"Mmm." She tried to nod.

"Elisade, you must do something. She's not healing fast enough. Her heart will stop beating soon."

Now, Rukia recognized the concerned voice. She smiled dreamily. _If Byakuya's here, everything will be fine..._

"I... I don't think I can help her. I'm not strong enough. He took too much blood."

This made Rukia sad. Elisade shouldn't sound so upset. The elf was far too sweet and kind for that.

"Then she'll drink from the wolf that's still alive," Byakuya said firmly.

"No!" The elf protested weakly. "He's barely breathing as it is. It'll kill him."

Rukia didn't want anyone to die. "I... I'm all right, brother."

"Rukia..."

Byakuya dark eyes looked into her worriedly.

"Don't hurt Chad," Rukia said. She tried to sound reassuring but her voice only sounded like a whisper.

"I'll do it," another voice spoke up.

Rukia felt her brother's arms tighten around her. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Go home, Ichigo," Orihime insisted. "Take Yuzu and Karin."

"They'll be fine. Let me save Rukia."

"No..." Rukia shook her head, realizing who the voice belonged to. She would never bite Ichigo. She had promised.

"Ichigo, it's too dangerous," the elf begged.

"Let him," Byakuya's deep voice commanded. "It'll save me the trouble of finding another human. You don't even have to worry about this one changing."

"I can't," Rukia whimpered. "I'll kill him."

"Hush," Byakuya whispered gently. "I'll help you."

He helped the younger vampire up into a sitting position.

"Ichigo..." Tears filled the elf's crystal eyes and she covered her mouth with both hands.

"You said... I won't change?" Ichigo asked.

"Don't be ridiculous." Byakuya answered, gesturing for the boy to come closer. "Even the slightest drop of elf blood will keep you from changing into another creature."

Even in her weakened state, Rukia could sense Ichigo's heart skip a beat. She wished she could see his face, but he was still too far above her.

"It's a long story, Ichigo. I'll... Will you trust me to tell you later? You won't become a vampire if you save Rukia now, but she might take all your blood." Elisade's sweet voice was a painful reminder to Rukia.

"I won't do it." She looked up at her brother. "Please... Don't."

"It's going to be ok, Rukia," Ichigo answered instead. "Let me save you for once."

And then, his arms were around her, pulling her close, and his hand was on the back of her head, holding her lips up to his warm neck. Rukia couldn't resist.

Her teeth slid into his delicious skin. Ichigo gasped and tensed under her hold but the hot, nectar-like liquid filled her mouth like honey.

Rukia felt like her entire body was on fire. The sweet elf blood mixed with heady human blood drove her to pieces.

She never wanted to stop.

Ichigo's heart was racing anxiously beneath her fingers, trying desperately to make up for all it was losing.

"Rukia."

Byakuya's voice felt distant. Rukia dug her teeth deeper into the soft flesh, curling her fingers into his shirt.

The body under her moved awkwardly, and Rukia realized that Ichigo had let her go.

"Rukia."

Her brother's voice was firm now. Rukia reluctantly pulled away, letting her delicious treat go.

Then, she saw Ichigo passed out on the ground in front of her.

_No... no no no no no no_

"Ichigo?" Rukia asked, falling on top of him. His heart was still beating, he was still breathing, why wouldn't he open his eyes? "Ichigo!"

"Control yourself," Byakuya reproached. "He'll wake up when his blood replenishes itself. You're only hurting him."

Rukia quickly climbed off the unconscious lump. "Really?"

"Really," the older vampire said drily. "You certainly seem to be feeling better."

Rukia did a mental check before running her hands over her old injuries. Her shoulder was completely healed and the hole in her chest was growing smaller by the second.

"I suppose so. Thank you."

"Your interest in this boy concerns me."

Byakuya's statement sent a shiver of apprehension through Rukia's core.

Then, his expression softened. "Why don't you assist Elisade with these creatures and we'll talk about it when you return home?"

"Yes, Brother." Rukia felt a wide grin break out on her face. "Just, before you leave, how did know we were in danger?"

The eldest Kuchiki looked over his younger sister's head thoughtfully. "I promised your sister I would always protect you, didn't I?"

Byakuya put a hand on her shoulder and pressed a feather-light kiss to her forehead. "Your powers are constantly growing. Don't forget that you'll be even more powerful than me one day."

Rukia smiled bashfully as her older brother walked away. She was no longer afraid to tell him about Ichigo. The little vampire felt like all the pressures that had been building up in her chest had all vanished in a single day.

She turned around to see Orihime struggling to lift one of the twins up in her arms. Rukia laughed when the elf shot her a look.

"Some help would be nice."

"I've got this," Rukia said, still grinning. "Just cover Chad up by the time I get back, ok?"

Orihime looked at the other in confusion before realizing what she meant. An amused smile pulled at the corners of the redhead's mouth.

"Deal."

* * *

Yay! :) Let me know if you think I should do one more chapter or leave it and let you imagine the rest


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